Shailene overcame Scoliosis as a teenager. Hard to believe that she once suffered from a curved spine given her erect well aligned image today… Reported to practice yoga regularly…might be the secret to that beautiful posture. No longer a “Divergent”, more mainstream, as more and more Americans practice yoga today than ever before.
Over 20 million people practice yoga in United States today. That number I imagine is climbing as I feel more are taking it up and embracing this practice. This positive trend reflects how much the yoga pioneers and instructors past and present educated the West over the past couple of decades. We especially owe these senior first generation of West’s yoga teachers the recognition and appreciation – that with their passion, commitment and love, they spread yoga to evolve into what it is today – a mainstream program with a commonly held belief where few would deny its benefits. Thanks to them, many are already convinced how beneficial this practice is and we know through our own embodies experience, yoga actually works. If practiced faithfully, it brings about a more integrated body and mind, which promotes that organic healthy sense of wholeness and wellness. Here’s some medical evidence based studies result … to make a convert out of a skeptic.
Lately I have come across strange comments and reasons behind not making it on the mat… oddly, some seem to feel that they cannot do yoga because they love tennis or they love golf too much – well, that’s great! Keep it up! If you already enjoy tennis, golf, dancing, swimming, cycling, running… whatever and all – okay, be a Triathalon – by all means, continue – yoga is not a replacement for any of the activities you already enjoy. It is an enhancement and a tool to make you even stronger player in any of the chosen field of sports- it works on a mindful, spiritual level. While I do tend to think yoga is all in one for the busy individual who cannot fit in a game of golf or tennis, etc – it would be nice to mix-and-match to give you a balanced active life. And for some of us, either injured or not feeling your best and recovering, or in midst of any kind of treatment, yoga puts you back on the road of wellness as it can be therapeutic and healing – yoga cures – it gives you the space to “honor” yourself which to some is the most challenging of all exercises:
I’ve heard this sentence, as you can imagine, many hundreds of times: “I don’t have time for this.” But I think that that’s an excuse. I really don’t think that’s the issue. I think we’re looking in the wrong places for why we don’t practice. We need to look at our thoughts and our beliefs about ourselves.
It has to do with self-nurturing. It has to do with valuing yourself. I believe it’s related to refusing on some level and used in the broadest sense of the word to see our own divinity.
One of the mantras that I like a lot is — specially when things start getting busy or conflicted — what is the most important thing right now? It’s usually to remember myself and what I’m feeling. And that centers me.
– Judith Hanson Lasater
Per Judith H. Lasater:)
The class I teach is the kind of class I want to be in – I want to take my own class. It has occurred to me that I have taken at least 1,000 + yoga classes + countless workshops and counting… after all those hours, this is what I come away with:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou
What do I want to get out of a yoga class? I want to FEEL lighter, clearer and balanced. I want to feel joyful and … okay, simply put, I want to feel GOOD.
In trying to reach that state of being, I get puzzled when I have to teach this “style” or that. I realize you need the expertise but… why typecast into a certain fixed role. I am, like you, multi-dimensional and multi-faceted. It is lovely to custom fit the practice to your body and mind for that day that moment… embracing the Buddhist teachings of non-attachment and impermanence. Don’t get caught up in how you USED to be a size 2 or how you USED to be able to do this or that. You may or may not again but that’s not it’s about and we are not interested in the past or the future – only this present moment matters.
I learned from and plan on learning forever from Gurus including the one within; but my own practice is yes a “ritual” that is BLENDED and DYNAMIC rather than singular and static. I do Restorative Yoga – I do Yin Yoga – I do Vinyasa Flow Yoga – I do Bikram Yoga – I do Hatha Yoga – I do a lot of yoga. So used to multi-tasking, my practice is multi-across the board although I have limitations in the physical aspects of power yoga – Yet I love the challenge to undertake what appears to be impossible – it’s kind of a good lesson – it’s all about the effort and the process, not necessarily the end-result. There sure are crazy poses I just cannot do (today) but that does not have to stop me from trying – As Matsy Ezraty would say – “let the fruits ripen:)” Don’t rush into it; getting into the pose, is the pose, that is YOUR full expression today. Restorative, Yin and Meditation practices all have allowed me to cultivate enormous amount of compassion and patience. I was once that student who would be frustrated and berating her body for not getting it just right or not even close; would be wiggling and fidgeting as I found staying still in a pose for a long time SO excruciatingly torturous. Now it’s a blissful experience to feel my body open and expand – to just let go – I can hear my breath – I can hear my pulse – I can hear even hear my heartbeat – really – you just have to turn up your internal ears a notch:) It’s just so soothing to hear and feel your body at its work… Then a flood of gratitude takes over. I am so lucky to have this body, this mind… this ritual, moment by moment to relish. Big Sighhh…
These days I like to teach restorative and yin yoga because it allows for us to slow-down the hyper pace, allows us to defog our windows and mirrors for a clearer view, allows us to regain ourselves through slow ahhhh oooosy self-reflection – oh my goodness. It’s a set-aside time for self-care and its in part a ritual and a routine. Then I do some form of cardios and weights – or a more flowy yoga for a balanced wholeness – That works for me .
Day or Evening; the time of the day; the moon cycle; the season, the weather that day – and our emotions – they all affect us living in this natural world. Powering through and ignoring that truth will burn you. I want to feel CALM and LUCID and REJUVENATED when I walk off the mat. I realize to pack a class, I should say my class will result in slimmer body (actually it does) and toned muscles (deep muscles yes, superficial muscles no), as yoga helps with weight loss and reversing the ungraceful effects of aging – that’s all true… But at present, I am more about finding the luminous light within – at least, that’s my intention. What is yours?
