Maybe take that to a 4 count inhale now. Breathing in slowly. 1-2-3-4. And exhale for 1-2-3-4 Heartbeat is slowing down now. Body is connecting with the breath. Releasing any stressors from your day. Breathing in. And breathing out. The flow of the breath like the waves of the ocean, rolling in and rolling out, letting go of any tension lingering in the body. Let's stay here for 5 full breaths.
Arms come over your head now as you stretch out and take one last inhale before rolling over onto your right side, ear lying on your right bicep, knees coming in to chest. From here, let's put the left hand out to stabilize as we bring the body up to a tabletop position. (all fours).
Relax your spine, spine is long and curved as your turn your gaze upwards and inhale. As you exhale now, back rounds like an angry cat as your tailbone lengthens and the belly button is drawn with an invisible string towards your spine.
Lifting the knees off the floor, weight balances now into the heels as we move into our first downward dog.
***
When I tell people I've developed a complete and profound love for the practice of yoga, I generally hear one of two things.
"Yoga is 'too slow' for me - I need a more intense form of fitness".
Or "I'm not stretchy or flexible enough for yoga".
I know these objections very well because I used to use them every time someone asked me if I would go to a yoga class with them.
So I feel a general sense of responsibility to the practice of yoga to share with you some of the things I did not know and have recently learned, in the hopes of inspiring just one person to try it.
1. You do not need to be stretchy and flexible.
The first and most important thing is that contrary to popular belief, you do NOT need to be built like Gumby or as flexible as a rubber hose. In fact, those of us who are not probably need it the most.
2. Yoga is a practice.
It is highly likely that every person in the class is at a completely different level or does one thing more advanced than someone else, who in turn, does another thing more advanced than the first person. Or maybe not. It is a "practice" meaning "start where you are" and continue to advance, or don't. There are no rules on any of the poses that indicate you "have to" look like the person beside you. There are beginner, intermediate and advanced options throughout the entire class.
3. Class does not start with the tree pose in the photo at the bottom of this post.
You don't walk into a yoga studio and bust out a tree pose when the class starts. It is worth noting that there are a series of "prep poses" designed to open up the body and warm up the muscles to prevent injury and prepare for the challenging nature of some arm balances or headstands.
(Ok I just saw you shake your head and think "nope, no arm balances or headstands here. I'm not reading any more of this".)
So in response to that, I would say you could practice yoga for the rest of your life and never once do a headstand. It is "your practice" and there is nothing mandatory about it. (But it is super fun if you get there.)
4. There is a specific purpose to the sequence of poses.
"After a well-sequenced yoga class, the physical body should feel expansive and balanced and the student should have more access and a deeper understanding of the inner frame of their body, energetically and even spiritually." - L. Tilch
I originally thought you could pretty much just pick the stuff you wanted to do without any thought that there could be a purpose to the movements chosen. Apparently that is not the case.
5. There is not one type of yoga that fits all or exists.
This is actually the tricky bit and requires some research to find "your practice". Vinyasa classes are a continual flow of movements whereby restorative yoga classes are 5-6 poses held for long periods of time designed to provide rest and restoration to muscles and connective tissues. There is gentle yoga for beginners, hot yoga performed in studios that reach 105 degrees (bikram) and Ashtanga that has 6 very specific and strenuous sequences practiced sequentially as progress is made. It could be a whole post to review each and every type of yoga out there right now and if you google types of yoga - there are loads of links that do a good job of explaining hatha, iyengar and a few more. There is also a book called "The Science of Yoga" that does a brilliant job of explaining the history and evolution of the many types of practice.
6. There is a reason you "breathe into the poses".
As you breathe into each pose, with every exhale you relax slightly and create more space, relieving tension in the area you are focused on. Bodies tighten as they are physically or emotionally taxed or as we age and we have pockets that hold every worry, doubt, anger or fixation. Breathing is our life force and breathing "into" these areas help to soften and release areas of tension.
7. Jillian Michaels yoga is not yoga.
I love Jillian Michaels. I really, truly, adore her. At one point, I had every fitness DVD she has ever published and I rotated them daily. She has (or had) two yoga DVD's. Yoga Meltdown and Yoga Inferno. They have yoga poses, they are power yoga workouts and they are totally Jillian. But a true yoga practice connects your mind and body, and most importantly focuses on the power of your breath. Poses will be held for "5 breaths" not "15 seconds".
It is all about the breath.
Who knew.
Certainly not me as I obsessively worked through those videos**.
(** Please note that in my dear admiration for Jillian this is not at all a fault to her - I just simply have found a completely different and authentic approach to yoga that sadly makes me unable to do one more of her yoga videos).
(And oh, please don't tell her.)
8. The purpose of yoga is to prepare the mind and body for stillness and meditation.
In the Western world, yoga has become viewed as an "exercise" class and while there is no question there is physical benefits to yoga, it is only half the health benefit. "Savasna" - which is the "corpse pose" at the end of the class has a purpose and that purpose is to allow the body and mind to be completely still.
9. Yoga produces a clarity to the mind and calming effect to the body that absolutely no other type of fitness can match.
Regardless of the heart rate, it is a scientific fact that our cortisol levels (our stress hormone), if out of check, can add extra weight to be carried on the body. Yoga targets the entire human nervous system and calms down the adrenal glands, reducing our cortisol level and keeping the nervous system well oiled.
10. Not all yoga practitioners are vegans, buddhists or hippies.
Okay, so I don't know many that don't fall into one of these categories but I'm pretty sure they exist.
11. The healing power to yoga is indisputable for those who carry any type of illness.
Yoga and meditation are scientifically supported as supplemental healing therapy towards multiple sclerosis, migraines, cancer, carpal tunnel and rheumatoid arthritis, amongst many other conditions.
"Women with MS learned about yoga philosophy and practiced restorative yoga for 90 minutes twice a week. After 8 weeks, they were better able to walk for short distances and stronger fine motor coordination, less pain and fatigue than participants who did not practice. Migraine sufferers practiced a sequence of poses, breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation for 3 months which resulted in less migraines and reduced heart rate. Most people with chronic pain experience depression and anxiety as a side effect and yoga targets the mind body connection to prescribe relief to the brain." _ Yoga Journal, August 22.
12. The mat matters.
It is easy to slip and get injured in a class that's heated or physical. The quality and type of yoga mat makes all the difference in the world and is well worth the investment.
13. Yoga completely changes your overall body shape.
Yoga balances out the body. I had no idea the extent of the damage I had done to my hamstrings and back of my body through running and cross fit/ bootcamp type exercise. I was challenged by my Chiropractor to do 30 days of yoga and give up running for one month to heal a calf injury and give my body a break. It is completely remarkable the change to my posture, shoulders and lengthening of my body in one month of practicing.
14. Blocks, straps and bolsters do not make you weak.
Okay, I didn't even know what any of these items were and they sound like they belong in 50 Shades of Grey. These are items that assist you in maintaining the best form that will give you the most benefit in the pose. You are not any "less" than anyone else if you use them. Period.
15. 108 Sun salutations is more painful than running a half marathon or any form of Cross fit.
"According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body. And, yes, one can offer a yoga mala of 108 Sun Salutations."
There are classes that consist of 108 Sun Salutations and I cannot tell you what they are like because I haven't done one. What I will tell you is that I did a class that had 54 of them and I couldn't move my upper body for 3 days. So if you still think yoga is for softies, or "too slow", then I fully challenge you to do 108 Sun Salutations. (look it up). I can absolutely guarantee you you would change your tune.
***
As I put my mat over my shoulder, leave my phone on the kitchen counter and head down the street to Seventh Wave Yoga, I am already preparing my mind to unwind. I open the door and walk up the stairs to a studio that is bright and airy and consumes me with welcoming energy.
"There is a theory that waves travel in sets and that every 7th wave is the strongest. The "rogue" wave. Sailors often feared its strength, surfers embraced it as it would carry them closer to the shore at the end of their day, and musicians sang about it. (Sting "Love is the Seventh Wave".)
Fact or fiction, Melinda Donahue, who owns Seventh Wave Yoga, believes that life reflects the waves of the ocean. Sometimes we are lifted and floating high, sometimes we are knocked down by one or a few take us by surprise and pull us under. As we struggle to regain our balance, we weaken in our body and spirit. Her studio is built on the foundation of the strength in the 7th wave. It is a chance to rebuild, renew or regain your strength both mentally and physically.
Melinda has taught yoga to trauma victims and first responders, helped those with PTSD, taught yoga to Seniors and taught students with brain injuries and severe physical challenges."
(https://www.theseventhwave.ca)
Imagine a world where we honored the differences in each other instead of spending time judging them.
One universe.
One world.
One sky.
We are all one.
"The divine in me honors the divine in all of you."
- Namaste 💜
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