Opening Chant, Menstrual Cycle Sequence and let’s talk shoulders

Hello friends!

With International Day of Yoga approaching I wanted the theme of this newsletter to be the original purpose of yoga, The clue is in our opening chant. Read below for more and check out this month’s book recommendation. 

Also in celebration of International Day of Yoga my online Ashtanga course is ON SALE with 40% off! So if you have been thinking about getting it -now is the time! 

Enjoy this simple menstrual cycle sequence, that can be used for menstruation or anytime you are wanting a restorative practice. This is sequence I personally use and find very effective. The time lengths are just guidelines and you can do some or all of the postures. See below for the link to download from my website. Happy full moon and rest day. 

Prasārita Pādottānāsana A, B, C & D
Spread foot stretching pose

Prasārita Pādottānāsana

There is so much I could say about LEGS in this posture but for this post I want to talk about shoulders! Why shoulders in a standing asana? 

Well after many years of practice I have observed, and experienced first hand, that shoulder injuries in Ashtanga yoga, can be quite common particularly for women. Anatomically we tend to be smaller in the shoulder girdle compared to the opposing join complex, the pelvis, and the muscles that stabilize the joint (serrateus anterior and latitsumus dorsi) are less pronounced than compared to men.. Yet a lot of the “grunt work” in the practice is done with the arms and the shoulders. 

After rehabilitating my shoulder from a rotator cuff tear around 10 years ago, I now make the use of as many postures as possible to work on shoulder stabilization. 

What tends to happen in daily life, and then is acerbated even further in practice (think chaturangas) is the front of the shoulder rolls forward, the shoulder blades wing off the back, and before you know it you have that niggly pain at the front of the joint. Sound familiar?

Some the key muscles we wa nt to work with are, trapezius, serrateus anterior and latitsumus dorsi, and a small little muscle behind the shoulder blade called the rhomboid to name a few – but even as I’m written this I’m think well everything is connected. So it’s probably better to think of it from fascial perspective, the superficial back line and deep back line. This region is more easily strengthened when we do “pulling actions”  – which to be honest is rarely called for in yoga – it’s mainly pushing (think arm balances).

Read on for shoulder actions in each of the prasārita variations.

Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation in A

• Position the wrists, elbows and shoulders in line. You’ll notice the elbows often want to wing out, but make an effort to align them. Think of this as a preparation for future arm balances. When a load is applied it’s definitely better to have the joints aligned. 
• Keep the elbows in line by feeling a wrapping sensation across the upper back. Pressing in firmly with the pinky finger will help access the deep back arm line. 
• Actively move the shoulder tops away from the ears sliding the should blades (scapulas) up the back. This is an extremely important action, particularly for headstand – so practice it as often as you can. 

Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation

• There’s lots of options for the position of the elbow in this one, and they are all options, one is not more correct than the other. As always with alignment in yoga, just know the reason behind your alignment choice and you can make an informed decision. 
• I like to work on the feeling of squeezing the shoulder blades towards the centre line of the spine, so the elbows pull back away from the knees slightly. This accesses the rhomboids, which play a huge role in scapula stabilization. 
• You can visualize a “pulling action” of the arms, activating the muscles of the upper back. This is extremely useful action to release tension around the trapezius which can get easily overworked. 

Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation in C

• What tends to happen in this posture, in our desire to to get the hands to the floor, is we let the wrists part, and we roll into the front of the shoulder joint. 
• Ignore how I’m doing it in this photo! I don’t actually take my hands to the floor anymore, as I keep my wrist together and really squeezing the scapulas to the centre line of the spine. 
• This way we avoid taking all the load into the front of the shoulder, which is it’s most vulnerable area.
• It’s great preparation for shoulderstand and gives a lovely massage to the spine too! 
• Please remember whether or not you can touch your hands to the ground often has a lot to do with leg length.

Practice Tips for Shoulder Activation in D

• Time for visualization! Imagine the elbows are being pulled to the ceiling, and that action is keeping the wrists long, and the shoulder tops moving away from the ears, scapulas sliding up the back (normally we say down – but we are inverted in this position – so up it is)
• Finally we have a pulling action – make the most of this. This action wakes up the upper back muscles and even works into the serratus and lats. 
• If you suffer from neck pain and trap tension, this is a wonderful remedy

LEARN THE VINYASA COUNT FOR THESE POSTURES – LISTEN BELOW

Why exactly are we practising?

Why do you practice yoga? 

We all have our individual answers. But they probably group around a similar theme. To make our lives better. 

This is not far removed from the original purpose of yoga, which put simply was to remove suffering. 

What is this suffering? According to the yogic texts it is the suffering of not knowing who we truly are. And where does this suffering originate? 

According to the ancient yogis, it is in the mind. 

If you practice Ashtanga yoga, it’s worth remembering every time you chant the opening mantra you are not praying for a better Mari D or jump through, you are acknowledging this path of yoga, to be a path that removes the delusions of the mind. 

I find this extremely important to reflect upon, as sometimes our yoga practice if not engaged with in the correct context can actually have the complete opposite effect – more delusions!

Let’s look at the meaning of the first paragraph of the Ashtanga Yoga opening chant in a little more detail. This section is from a larger poem known as the Yoga Taravelli by Adi Sankaracharya. 

Starting with the word hālāhala.  It’s a good one to start with as it’s fun to say and easy to remember the meaning. It means poison and we can find more about in the wonderful Samudra Mathan story (the churning of the oceans). When the devata and asuras join forces to find the elixir of life, they start churning the ocean, and the first thing to come out is this poison. It can symoblise our spiritual journey – a lot of crap rises to the surface in the process! 

When we talk about poison in yoga. it refers to delusions in the mind. It’s our own minds that poison us and bring us suffering. You might think, hang on I’m not deluded, well according to yoga we all are. You’re deluded if you don’t think you are deluded! 

According to Patanjali it our conditioned thinking (known as kleshas) is what poisons our lasting happiness, and prevents us from seeing our true nature., keeping us trapped in a cycle of suffering (saṃsara).

In the line before it refers to what the ultimate happiness (sukhāva) is – it is having knowledge (bodhe) of our true nature (svatma). If only we could see that our true nature is divine. Instead we suffer from the delusion (moha) that we a small, separate and broken. 

When we chant this opening prayer, we do in reverence for yoga as working like a medicine, and Patanjali who has taught the path, is like a jungle doctor (jāṅgalikāyamāne) who prescribes it. 

This medicine of yoga has the potential to remove the poison, remove the delusions (moha) of the mind and offer us peace (mohaśāntyai). Peace that comes with knowing who we truly are. 

vande gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravinde sandarśita svātma sukhāvabodhe
।niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne saṃsara hālāhala mohaśāntyai
I bow to the lotus feet of the Gurus
The awakening happiness of one’s own self revealed
Beyond better acting like the Jungle physician
Pacifying delusion, the poison of Samsara

Word-by-word translation

vande – I worship

gurūṇāṃ – the supreme Guru

caraṇāravinde – I bow to the lotus feet

sandarśita – at vision revealing

svātma – true self

sukhāva – happiness

bodhe – knowledge

niḥśreyase – beyond better

jāṅgalikāyamāne – jungle doctor

saṃsara – conditioned existence

hālāhala – poison

mohaśāntyai – peaceful resolution

STILLNESS & MOVEMENT
SHIVA-SHAKTI ASHTANGA YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT
RISHIKESH OCTOBER 7 – 12, 2025

Join me for a 7-day/5-night yoga retreat, to India’s yoga heartland, Rishikesh. We’ll be staying at a boutique hotel nestled right on the banks of the Ganges river, surrounded by the serene Himalayan foothills. The retreat will include daily yoga, meditation and philosophy talks by the majestic Ganga, along with excursions to nearby temples and spiritual sites, expertly curated for the perfect balance of stillness and movement.

Retreat Highlights

• Daily yoga, meditation & chanting
• Daily talks and satsangs
• Visits to nearby Shiva & Devi temples, ashrams and spiritual landmarks
• VIP experience of the famous Ganga Aarti
• Shopping and exploring in Laxman & Ram Jhula
• Gentle hiking and time in nature

Package Includes

• Five-nights’ accommodation in boutique hotel
• All yoga classes
• All meals
• All day trips and entrance fees
• Local expert guide
• Airport transfers and transport in comfortable vehicles

*Airfares and visa costs are additional

Pricing
Sharing Room (two people ) – AED 6500 per person
Single Room – AED 8950

BookingsFor bookings email sophia@sugarcaneelephants.com. As this is a small boutique hotel spaces are limited. Bookings will close by September 15.

ASHTANGA YOGA ANUṢṬHĀNA
60-HR ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY IMMERSION (YACEP)

OCTOBER 2025 – APRIL 2026

Programme Overview

• Six-month programme including in-person and online workshops
• Three in-person weekends (Oct 4/5, Jan 17/18, April 18/19) at Nilaya House, Dubai
• 12 online lectures (twice per month, Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm DXB time)

Topics:

• Review of Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series Asanas
• Sanskrit Vinyasa Count
• Traditional method for practice
• Asana Anatomy, Alignment and Adjustments
• Sanskrit Pronunciation
• Opening and Closing Mantras
• History of Yoga
• Methodology of Ashtanga Yoga
• Introduction to Samkhya Philosophy
• Introduction to Patanjali Yoga Sutras
• Exploration of the Subtle Body, Prana, Nadis & Chakras
• Key Principles of Ayurveda

Teachers

Nea Ferrier, level 2 SYC authorised Ashtanga teacher
Kamal Edrees, ERYT-500 teacher trainer & Osteopath
Laksyha (Elouise) Sanskrit teacher

Who is this training for?

• Ashtanga practitioners wanting to deeper their practice and understanding of philosophy
• Yoga practitioners wanting an immersion into Ashtanga yoga
• Yoga teachers looking to continue their learning and studies of a traditional lineage of yoga

Application Process

Please email nea@ashtangayogadubai.com to receive the application form. Spaces are limited.

BOOK CORNER

Georg Feurestein is one of my favorite writers on yoga. He combines academic rigor with the insights of a practitioner. 

I recommend any one of his books, but this is a particular fabourite. 

It is comprehensive anthology that explores the spiritual, philosophical, and psychological depth of yoga beyond the asana. 

Yoga is presented as a full-spectrum spiritual path aimed at liberation (moksha), not merely a system of physical exercise. 

He emphasizes the inner transformation and self-transcendence that true yoga entails. 

Thank you for reading! I welcome your feedback.
Please feel free to email me with any topics or suggestions for future newsletters.