Breathe

Floating Through The Practiced Storm

Melina Lake / Reflections, Tips, Yogis / , , , / 2 Comments

Savasana. The pose of all poses. You rise from your deep, calm, refreshed state with an increased positivity and gratitude towards life. You steadily prepare to face the outside world, bringing with you the qualities enhanced during class. Before you can collect your things and gather your thoughts to go on your merry way, the entrance is flooded.

Fellow yoginis, desperately anxious to find peace and start their practice, rush to the crowded cubicles and still occupied mats. You and others in a successful tranquilized state are bombarded with questions as to whether you’re coming or going. Your peace is interrupted, but you try hard to hang onto it as you dodge the incoming traffic and make your way out of class.

Doesn’t this abrupt behaviour confuse our purpose in going to yoga? The practice in breathing through discomfort and applying it to our daily lives. Being calmly present to deal with temporary strain.

So why not breathe through the discomfort of not getting our usual spot in class? Or the hurry to place our belongings in the cubicle closest to the exit? Or the anxious need to achieve ten full minutes of happy baby before class begins? How about respecting our community, our Kula, to help enhance its practice rather than suspend it.

We’ll all eventually arrive on our mats and begin our practice our way, moving to accommodate our bodies’ needs. Once class is finished, the positive energy we leave with is not determined by how strategic we were before class started.

So let’s face this challenge, despite how badly we need our next class. Let’s incorporate the strength, compassion, and integrity we learn from yoga and ensure its carried forward once we enter our yoga community. So when we exit class, we stay afloat rather than being forced to sink.

Coming Back to You

Leeann / Meditation, Reflections, Tips / , , , , , , / 4 Comments

Among the many benefits of yoga, I believe the most important is it has allowed me to be more present in my life; to be more present within me.

From the moment I step into the studio I feel myself connect more fully to my body. I feel my shoulders relax.  I concentrate more on my breath. I start to notice the tenseness in areas I didn’t realize until I took a moment to listen.

All throughout our busy day we shut the voice of our body down; we don’t have time to listen to what it is telling us; the slight twinge of an achy hip, the tense area between the shoulders, the pull of the muscles down the back, the knee that continues to slightly throb. All these tiny voices of the body are being drowned out by the mind. I have to get this done; I need to pick up groceries, what am I going to make for dinner? When will I have time for me???

Within the yoga studio, I am there only for me. I am there to feel my body move. I am there to listen to what it tells me I can and can’t do. The instructor at the head of the class is only making suggestions; only I know what my body needs.

But listening to the body takes practice; it takes time. The mind has huge expectations of us. It criticizes, it judges, it sets goals from out of nowhere. If you take the time to listen and believe in what your body tells you, you will find a sense of peace; a calmness that allows you to believe that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Your body is perfect in its imperfection.

Sometimes when I come out of a yoga class, I am more aware of that wonderful body. The placement of my foot upon the sidewalk; how the ball of the foot takes the weight transferring it through the arch and on to the heel. As I shift the weight from one foot to the other, I feel my body sway from side to side.  The expansion of my lungs as I take in a full deep breathe, the rise and fall of my chest, the long deep exhale. The slight soreness coupled with the deep heavy relaxation, the calmness of the mind.

I exist here and now.

It doesn’t matter that I have laundry to do or that I need to get groceries. That my taxes are waiting to be done.

For those precious moments after a class I can feel a deep sense of connection to the earth as I take in the lush green grass, the profusion of new buds on the cherry trees, the magnolia that are blossoming.

I find myself looking at the quality of light; how different it can be from dawn to sunset. The cool blues of the morning, the deep golden oranges of the afternoon into the sunset; the golden hour, and finally the magenta blues coming just after the sun has set.

What the rain sounds like as it hits the leaves of a tree. How the earth smells different after a light rain.

All the senses of my body are alive with the beauty of life.

The world is a plethora of sights, sounds and smells which I find myself so grateful to be a part of.

Even if I can’t find the time to practice I know that just a small walk out my door allows me to be present in my life. From the knowledge I gathered throughout my practice, I can take a few precious moments a day to breathe; to come back to me.

What does yoga bring into your life? What do you do to bring yourself back to you?

(source: realliferealyoga.blogspot.com)

If You Can Breathe, Then You Can Sing

Melina Lake / Reflections, Styles, Writers, Yogis / , , / 1 Comment

Sitting cross legged, arms raised straight out from each side, palms up, music on. We can sing along if we want to. And to my surprise, we all do. And it sounds…awesome?

I didn’t expect a group of random people – some with vocal talent and others (like myself) with none whatsoever – to sound so lovely. And it wasn’t just this once either, it is every time we repeat a mantra or sing along to a popular song. We sound good. The combined voices are somehow in sync with great tone. It sounds better than any cover band I’ve heard or any church choir performance I used to be tortured with. Yet, these bands and choirs rehearse.

So why does an unrehearsed group at yoga sound better?

The author of Yoga Solara offers many parallels between practicing yoga and singing, offering explanations about why us untrained singers find our voices in yoga.

Relaxation, releasing our egos. The best singers strive to let go of all physical and mental tension and allow their voices to come from an authentic, natural place. If you allow your ego to run your singing, your voice will sound false and manipulated.

Presence. Singing is the epitome of being present in the moment. If you let your mind wander, your voice can become unstable.

Posture. Correct singing posture is identical to mountain pose, with hands at the sides.

Technique and Heart. A great singer understands and cultivates a solid technique, and then, when performing, lets go and just sings from the heart.

Breath, the focal point in both yoga and singing. The ‘First Secret’ to singing is the control of breath. When you have control of your breath that means you have control over the muscles of your diaphragm, larynx, and vocal chords (Singing and Breathing – http://singinglessons4u.net/).

So, a singing voice and the courage to find it is one of the many benefits of practicing yoga. Although I’m not about to start belting out Donna Summer songs or create my own cover band, it is nice to acceptably sing out loud and believe I sound better than I would otherwise.

What are your thoughts about singing in yoga?

Want to sing in yoga? I recommend Gloria’s Kundalini at Semperviva.

Keeping It Fresh With A Little Heat

Leeann / Reflections, Reviews, Studios, Teachers / , , , , , / 1 Comment

In the spirit of trying new things and keeping it fresh, I thought I would try out a Hot Yoga class.

Now let’s give some background here; I have been practicing yoga for about 13 years & I just starting teaching in 2009. I first tried Hot Yoga in 2003 but was hurt by an enthusiastic teacher who thought my hip could open further. It could not, and consequently I couldn’t sit cross legged for three months.  So understandably I was a little nervous heading to Yyoga on Sunday night to try out Brant Forrester’s YHot class.

First Questions

My first question upon entering Flow Wellness on Burrard Street was rather personal; during my moon cycle should I be practicing Hot Yoga? The guest experience member at the front desk was very helpful. She stated that there are many schools of thought but practicing on your first day of your cycle is not recommended, nor are inversions.  Good on both counts, I head in.

The Build up

Seated in the waiting area before the Fire room I asked a few yogis why they practice Hot Yoga. One yogi stated that he liked the cleansing aspect of the deep sweat.

Another yogi stated that he was on his 30 day challenge; having missed one day, he was catching up by taking two YHot classes. He professed that he loves the challenge and is now addicted.

Marcie, another yogi, seated with us stated that she has a very active mind and that Hot Yoga offers her the challenge she needs.

Everyone warned me I would sweat a lot. They recommended I bring a change of clothes for afterwards.

Here we go

Finally allowed to enter the studio, we set up our mats & got ready to move. First I have to say the room wasn’t as hot as I expected. It was warm but not unbearable. Although the room didn’t get any hotter, I warmed up considerably with all the movement.  There were definitely times during the practice that I felt the need to leave the room. But I just got closer to the ground in Child’s Pose and used my breath to relax.

Brant was very reassuring as he stated immediately that Yoga is your practice. As with all types and levels of yoga; do only what you can, only what your body feels is okay, not what your mind expects of you. There is no competition in yoga, especially not with yourself.

Starting us off in a deep yogic breath; Brant allowed us to get centered and comfortable with the room. Once we were comfortable, he encouraged us to try our Uyaji breathe; preformed by creating a soft sound at the back of the throat while inhaling and exhaling through the nostrils. This sound can help with focusing the mind.

Brant guided us softly throughout the practice using a combination of laughter and encouragement. Starting with postures that remained closer to the floor, we gradually worked into standing poses and balancing postures. Brant challenged you yet also let you decide the level of exertion.

The Deep Satisfaction of Accomplishment

After going through a nice sequence of postures we were back on the ground to do some stretching. Sensing the end was near I was pleased that I had made it. I have to admit that I have never felt a deeper sense of satisfaction than when Brant encouraged us to prepare for Savasana (Corpse Pose). I felt calm and relaxed; no tension anywhere in my body.

Final words

I would encourage anyone to try out a Hot Yoga class. The fear that had held me back was unwarranted, and I am glad to say I am now a big fan of Hot Yoga. I hope you will become one as well. And if not, at least you can say you tried.

(Source: life123.com)

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