My Pleasure Reading Revealed – Admittedly, kind of nerdy?
Just about the physical? What about going deeper ? But one has to start somewhere – it need not be spiritual at first – it’s all an entry way into Self at whatever level to bring about joy … and that joy could merely be about being free from pain or tightness … it’s about not even having to think about the body as it’s so FREE – what joy that would be:
Geeking over these incredible resource.
Interesting to note the above has the same title as Judith Lasater’s Relax & Renew book on restorative yoga. But completely different. This was purchased awhile ago at Golden Bridge Yoga studio in Santa Monica – it was a kind of a dreamy utopia back then… no I don’t mean it was a commune or an ashram (maybe it was) but it was a yoga studio and this was what they put out, yet another version, the Kundalini yoga school’s Relax & Renew yoga – different, both books a gem to yoga lovers.
So I have trouble with folks with superficial or limited knowledge of yoga becoming the critic providing a layman’s critique sometimes that make little sense ? comments like – it wasn’t yin or it wasn’t vinyasa or it’s too hard, too easy, etc. – they need to get over themselves and be open. Suggesting that a student really have a look at the training of the teacher who stands before you and question the teacher’s intention – is this class going to serve me and my pursuit of wellness, my wholeness ? If you want power yoga, then, why? Why do you seek power yoga? Do you feel that by practicing it, you will become … powerful? And why do you seek that? Usually a power yoga teacher means a teacher trained in the Ashtanga tradition – do you know what that means?; if you want alignment and balance, maybe someone more influenced in the Iyeangar teachings- do you know what that means?; or if you want more the spiritual, meditation aspects coupled with physical challenges, maybe Kundalini; all can be in a room heated or cooled down depending again, on the intention set by you, that’s uniquely yours.
Not all restorative- or for that matter, not all yin yoga is the same. It’s true when you walk into Iyengar yoga studio, it’s completely different from Vinyasa class but I embrace both – I find BOTH to be beneficial for me. What one finds “inspiring” could be considered “too busy” “too hard” “too challenging” thus stressful or injury causing – for some, so it’s about managing expectations while educating the students especially in the art of patience and flexibility – and being open and not stuck to one rigid idea that it must look and feel a certain way. There are so many ways to get there – you know – so many means, so many ways to get to that end.
Within yin yoga styles, the original yin master’s yin practice was quite … yang ?
Check out Paulie Zink, the founder of yin yoga vs Paul Grilley, also founder of yin yoga and Sarah Powers, if not the founder, a master of it. How could all of them be the founder or the master? Because their yoga is called “Yin Yoga” but each school is very different. Then, there’s Bernie Clark and Norman Blair. Each a “master” of their own style, each so different from another I think. Yet, they all claim to be THE yin yoga master teacher or even a founder of that style. Best not to label too much as I’d like to blend a hybrid that works for you and “me” that day, that time. If that’s called “eclectic”… it is what it is. It’s Yoga:) I propose that each student do the same – find a “blend” depending on the season; depending on the condition of that very temple our soul resides.