Yoga to Overcome Obstacles

Hi everyone! This week we’re continuing our series on the benefits of yoga with the story of Ganesha, the beloved and powerful elephant-headed Hindu god known as the conqueror of obstacles. After discussing Ganesha’s mythological origin and attributes, I’ll share three different yoga practices to call on Ganesha for inspiration and courage to help you when you’re facing your own obstacles. 

Ganesha’s Origin Story

Ganesha, also known as Ganesh or Ganapati, is the son of Parvati, wife of the powerful god Shiva. Shiva was often away for long periods of time, and Parvati got lonely, so she created Ganesha out of clay (or turmeric paste in some versions of the story) to keep her company. Shiva eventually returned home, and Parvati happened to be in the bath when he tried to enter the house. This was back in the day before we had phones or texting, so Shiva was not aware of his son. Young Ganesha, who was standing guard while his mother was bathing, did not recognize Shiva as his father. The two of them fought, and while Ganesha put up a fierce fight, Shiva eventually defeated him by cutting his head off.

Needless to say, when she discovered what had happened, Parvati was heartbroken and informed Shiva that Ganesha was his son. To make up for what he had done, Shiva went into the forest, returned with an elephant head, and affixed it on the body of Ganesha, bringing him back to life and declaring him the most powerful of all gods, Lord of the ganas (all beings).

Ganesha’s Attributes

In addition to having an elephant head on a human body, Ganesha is often represented with four arms. One of his hands holds an axe to cut down the tree of ignorance, another holds a rope to climb the tree of knowledge, one is held up with the palm facing out (abhaya mudra, the gesture of fearlessness), and the fourth holds a lotus. Ganesha also has small eyes to represent focus, large ears to listen carefully, and a big pot belly that symbolizes his ability to digest troubles with calmness (pratyahara).

Ganesha can be called upon to remove self-imposed obstacles by dispelling predisposed beliefs, like negative self-talk and feelings of self-doubt. He is also the patron deity of writing and scholarship, and can help to put your mind at ease and inspire creativity. Also known as the lord of new beginnings, Ganesha helps you to overcome fears.

Yoga Practice with Ganesha

Ganesha Mantra

A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase used to direct energy or keep the mind focused. A simple version of the Ganesha mantra is

Om gam ganapataye namaha  (ohm gahm gah-nah-pah-tah-YAY na-ma-HA).

Repeat this mantra several times.

• Related: Listen to Ganesha Sharanam by Jai Uttal and (kind of cool, kind of corny) Ganesh is Fresh by MC Yogi

Ganesha Mudra

Mudra means seal, and in the context of yoga, a mudra is a symbolic shape made with the hands and fingers and used to channel energy, or prana.

Practice Ganesha mudra to lift your spirits and help you to overcome your obstacles: Hold your hands in front of your heart, palms touching in prayer position (anjali mudra). Rotate the hands so the left palm faces forward and the right palm faces toward you, elbows out to the sides. Curl the fingers of both hands and slide the elbows out so the fingers are locked together, and energetically pull the hands apart. Hold this for a few deep breaths with your eyes closed, relaxing slightly on the exhales and pulling on the inhales. Switch sides and repeat. You can also perform Ganesha mudra while chanting the Ganesha mantra.

Asana: Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana B)

Ganesha is associated with the root chakra (muladhara) and square symbol. In the physical practice of yoga, or asana, you can embody Ganesha with powerful poses like Warrior II.

Start by standing in a wide stance with your feet 3-4 feet apart. Turn your left toes to the left and bend the knee in the same direction. Raise your arms to a T shape. Gaze past the fingers of your left hand, as if to take aim at a target with laser focus. Take 3-5 deep breaths in this position. On an inhale, straighten your left leg, turn the toes inward and rotate the right toes to the right. Bend the right knee as you exhale and gaze past your right fingertips. Hold for 3-5 breaths.

While Ganesha is an important deity in Hinduism, this yoga practice is not meant to be religious. I don’t see these mudra, mantras, or asana as holding magical powers, but rather, are symbolic of the wisdom, intuition, creativity, fearlessness, power, and pratyahara embodied by Ganesha. Calling on Ganesha in yoga practice can be a helpful tool to shift your energy and mindset so that you can remove obstacles and maintain focus to achieve your goals.

Yoga for Managing Anxiety

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I wrote a series of posts earlier this year about applying yoga philosophy to life, and I’m excited to start a new series about incorporating the physical yoga practice (Asana) and breathing exercises (Pranayama) for mental, emotional, and physical benefits. You may have already heard that yoga is helpful for reducing anxiety and stress. I learned in my yoga teacher training that balance poses are useful in particular for managing anxiety, and as a result I try to include them whenever I teach. Anxiety is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people, and events like the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant impact on anxiety levels worldwide. In this post, I’ll share specific examples of my favorite poses and exercises to alleviate anxiety, with both audio and written guidance. 

How it Works

Part of the benefit of yoga is mental - putting your body into the shape of a pose and holding it directs your attention to your body, getting you out of your head. Balance poses in particular are helpful for managing anxiety because they improve your concentration and focus and make you feel more grounded. 

In addition, yoga can have physiological benefits through stimulating the vagus, a pair of cranial nerves that regulate internal organ functions and pass through key organs like the heart, lungs, and liver. These are the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which helps the body enter a state of relaxation and recovery. The PNS works in opposition to the sympathetic nervous system, which causes stress or anxiety, or the fight-or-flight response. So when you stimulate or tone the vagus, it has a regulating effect on your body and mind and manages anxiety. Certain yoga poses like inversions, where the feet are higher than the heart, and breathing exercises are believed to stimulate the vagus nerve.

Practice

Here are a few examples of yoga poses and exercises for you to try for yourself.

Balance Pose: Meditative Tree

A popular balancing pose that can easily be modified to all levels is Tree pose (Vrksasana, pronounced “vrik-SHA-sana”). 

Start by standing tall with your weight evenly balanced between your feet (hip distance apart), palms together in front of your heart with shoulders relaxed. Stay here for a moment and try closing your eyes. This might already be enough of a balance challenge for you, and if so, you can stay here, Mountain pose (Tadasana).

If you’re ready to try tree pose, start to shift your weight into your left foot and come on to the ball of your right foot, bringing the right heel to the inside of your left ankle with the knee angled outward. Keep the right big toe on the ground to help you balance. Try looking upward and notice how this affects your balance. If it feels okay, try closing your eyes. Take 5-10 deep breaths, then open your eyes again and repeat on the other side.

If you’re familiar with traditional Tree pose, you can do that instead or in addition to Meditative Tree for the same benefits.

Inversions: Legs up the Wall

While the most commonly known inversions in yoga are probably headstand and shoulder stand, Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) is a gentler inversion that is more accessible. In addition to helping with anxiety, it can help with leg swelling and improve circulation. 

If you have a wall space available, you may want to place a yoga mat or blanket on the floor by the wall for padding. Start by lying on one side with your knees bent and move your hips toward the wall until your seat touches. Rotate your body 90 degrees with your legs straight so they are stacked directly above your hips and your back is flat on the ground. You can rest your hands on your belly, or hold them out to the side by the hips with palms facing up. Stay here for a few minutes (or up to 20 minutes), closing your eyes if you’re comfortable. To come out of the pose, gently roll to one side and lower your legs. Take your time as you slowly come up to a seated position. 

You can also do this pose without a wall. I find it easier to hold with hips slightly elevated. Lie on your back with a yoga mat or blanket underneath for comfort. Place a folded blanket, small cushion, or yoga block underneath your sacrum, the flat bone between your low back and hips, and raise your legs into the air so the feet are directly above the hips. If you need to keep a bend in your knees, that’s fine. Hold anywhere from 2-3 minutes up to 20 minutes.

Breathing Exercises: Alternate Nostril Breathing

Slow and deep breathing can have a calming effect on the mind. One of my favorite yoga breathing (pranayama) techniques is Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodana), which also takes some concentration. 

Sit tall in a comfortable seated position with your hands resting on top of your thighs (I like to sit cross-legged on top of a folded blanket or yoga block). Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale completely. Fold the index and middle fingers of your right hand toward the palm and use your right thumb to gently close the right nostril. Inhale deeply through the left nostril, and then use your right ring finger to close it. Hold the breath and then release the thumb from the right nostril to exhale. Then inhale through the right nostril and hold with both side closed, exhaling on the left side. Repeat this entire cycle several times, keeping your breath smooth and continuous, and then release your right hand.

If you’re familiar with Ujjayi breath, you can also do that instead, taking deep inhales, holding the breath for 4 counts, and extending your exhale as long as you can (or at least longer than the inhale). Repeat several times, for at least 4-5 rounds.

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By practicing balance poses, inversions, and breathing exercises, you can reduce tension in your body and calm your mind. These are simple exercises that you can do anytime and anywhere, either as a regular practice or when you’re experiencing stress and anxiety. If you try them out, let me know what you noticed, while you were practicing and afterward, in the comments!