This week in class we focused on planting a seed for our greater good. As we know through our own personal practice, Yoga is an invitation from the soul to slow down, be present, be here and now and to focus on each movement in the moment. When we practice on a regular basis we find ourselves better equipped to quiet down and listen to our bodies and our thoughts without judgment, shame, or criticism. We begin to notice which parts of our body need extra care and attention. We recognize when we need more sleep or when we feel strong and vibrant. We have tendencies to tune into our emotional states more quickly. And with this knowledge we become more responsive to our daily needs. Anne LeClaire states it best, “Every soul innately yearns for stillness, for a space, a garden where we can till, sow, reap, and rest, and by doing so come to a deeper sense of self and our place in the world. Silence is not an absence but a presence. Not an emptiness but a repletition or a filling up.” As we head into the weekend remember to plant that seed of good intent, peace of mind, peace of heart and peace of soul.
Namaste~ Jennifer
This week in class we practiced the art of letting go. We started with alternate, nostril breathing to purify the 72,000 nadis that exist within our bodies, accompained with our asana practice which promoted the ability of our minds to let go and facilitated the calming and relaxation of our senses. Our health and happiness is a constant interplay between body, mind, and spirit. An imbalance in any of these areas can lead to feelings of dis-ease and can potentially keep us from feeling vital and healthy. In order to move towards healing, we first must identify and acknowledge the obstacles, conditioned thought-patterns, and anything else that is currently limiting our experience of well-being. Once this done, we can engage in the practice of releasing these blockages. Through the active process of letting go and releasing, we can then open up the space to bring in healing and nourishment. This brings us closer to a state of balance. Through the practice of yoga, meditation and mindfulness, we allow our body, mind and spirit to exist in their natural state of balance, where health and peace is then revealed.
Namaste ~ Jennifer
This week in class we focused on how to deepen the joy within us. I think this quote by Dan Millman states it perfectly. “I’d always believed that a life of quality, enjoyment, and wisdom were my human birthright and would be automatically bestowed upon me as time passed. I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live – that there were specific disciplines and ways of seeing the world I had to master before I could awaken to a simple, happy, uncomplicated life” As we moved through our asana practice this week we focused on the qualities and characteristics that would increase our happiness. We set present tense intentions to connect with others, have a strong sense of purpose, a good attitude, to let and forgive, to lighten up and have a sense of humor, nurture ourselves, maintain a spiritual practice and stay in the present moment. Through our practice we recognized that “joy” is our organic state of our soul but we need to make sure that we don’t get lost in thought and busyness and slide over the surface of life but instead be present to the precious moments that nurture our true nature. Namaste- Jennifer
This week in class we focused on the concept of Ahimsa. The great sage Patanjali laid out a kind of map- one that suggests not just asana and meditation but also attitudes and behaviors- to help us chart our own course of contentment. The yoga sutras contain essential advice for daily living. Patanjali offers us guidelines that allow us to have enhanced emotional and mental well-being and a more fulfilling and meaningful life. The Yoga Sutra is specifically designed to lead to greater happiness and spiritual fulfillment for you and everyone around you. In the yoga philosophy, ahimsa is often translated as “non-violence” or “non-harming” when practiced it’s an opportunity to relinquish hostility and irritability, and instead make space within our consciousness for peace. In that space, all the anger, separation, and aggression resolve themselves. This allows you to let others be who they are, and relate to the world in a whole new way. To incorporate ahimsa into your life, look at all the attitudes you have that might be keeping you from feeling at peace. In class we practiced recognizing negativity, and just by noticing the negativity will help you stop feeding the thoughts and will lead you toward peace. The concept of ahimsa suggests a state of balance that can evolve, that meets each situation in an open and accepting way. This openness can extend to others as well as yourself. Namaste…Jennifer
This week in class we focused on Spring Cleaning. We have 72,000 nadis (pathways, nerve endings), in the body according to yogies. With all the asana, breathing and meditation we look to cleansing and clearing these energy pathways because they get blocked. They get blocked when we take in toxins, when we over exercise, don’t get enough sleep or when we are emotionally upset. Overtime these mental, emotional and physical blockages create tension between ourselves, our organs, our nervous system and our fields of perception. This week in class we dabbled in the Kundalini style of yoga that practices kryias which are acts, they are to be performed in succession of 21 times with most finishing with rapid breath of fire, which is a form of yogic creating that is more aerobic than aerobics. They ranged from strengthening the vestibular apparatus, which is the inner ear to cleansing the liver. We also set the intention to release the “things” we were holding on to that no longer served us so that we could expand into our greater good. As we move into Spring, I urge you to continually take inventory of the things that are creating blockages so that you will be open to receive more of what life has to offer.
Namaste – Jennifer
This week in class it was all about our core and twisting poses, which provide a lovely massage for the internal organs. Twisting asanas squeeze toxins out of our system to allow fresh blood and nutrients to enter. They are known as a squeeze and release method of purification. On an energetic level they are associated with 3rd chakra, which is located at the solar plexus region, and known as our power center. When open we are capable of translating our intentions and desires into manifestations. When blocked we may feel frustrated and ineffectual . As we unblocked this area of the body this week we learned it was not necessary to search for your inner power, since it’s already within us. It’s something we were given the moment we were born, and essential to our survival as the ability to breath. Our power is what propels us forward day after day, what sustains us in dark moments, what gives us tithe ability to do whatever we feel driven to do. It glows within us like a light, beamed outward into the world as needed. Namaste …..Jennifer
WEEKLY UPDATE: MARCH 4, 2012
This week in class we focused on relieving anxiety and stress through present moment awareness. In yoga we are systematically awakening our ability to feel what is happening in our body, heart and mind. As our awareness becomes more refined, it can guide us in all areas of our lives. We observe which foods make us feel best, which work we find most fulfilling, which relationships bring us joy. The beauty of mindfulness is that it can help us better understand stress and anxiety that comes up in our lives as well, because if we are present, we cannot be anywhere else. If we are in the here and now, in a space of being with our breath, our mind is not wandering off to the past. Our mind is not in the worries associated with the past. When we are in the present moment we are not engrossed in the future. We are not concerned with what might happen or how things are going to turn out. By being in the present we don’t feel the stress and demand of life in general. We are simply in a space of being, after all we are human beings not human doings. In the present moment we celebrate the beauty of life, of our existence, of our true nature which is bliss, which is whole, which is healthy, peaceful and calm.
Namaste….Jennifer
(mantra pronunciation for this week was (ah-Hum brah -MAHS-mee)
This week in class we focused on relieving fatigue. We have all experienced common bouts of fatigue as a normal response to over-exertion, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep. The most common remedies for alleviating symptoms of low energy and/ or motivation are rest, stress reduction, exercise and nutrition. Yoga is an effective treatment for fatigue because it combines movement, rest and stress reduction along with breathing techniques, which cultivate prana, allowing the nervous system to activate it’s parasympathetic state. ( the rest and renew response) Yoga not only addresses the physical, emotional and energetic causes of fatigue but it also fosters and facilitates the self observation and self inquiry required to understand the roots of our imbalance. When the adrenals are calm and the poses are performed correctly, twisting poses will replenish the mind and body, backbends will energize the mind and body, forward folds will pacify the mind and body and inverted poses will refresh the mind and body. We must remember that Health and Well Being are a manifestation of internal balance and balance isn’t static; to achieve it, you have to move , adjust, and change. Namaste….Jennifer
This week in class we addressed the idea of opening our hearts through a series of backbends all while cultivating equanimity with our efforts. Equanimity is the act of finding the balance between the good and the bad. It’s establishing a center point within our efforts, within our thoughts and within our emotions. So many times we cling to what is good and runaway from that which is not good. Through cultivating equanimity in our lives we can begin to embrace all of our experiences, thoughts and emotions to their fullest potential. Rather than judging or reacting we can relax into the vast, spaciousness of everything as it arises. As we practice this on our mats we are afforded the opportunity to translate that balance in our daily lives. What we discovered was that some postures felt great and we gravitated toward them and other poses do not feel good and we had an aversion to those postures. We also noticed that certain days we felt flexible and strong and other days we felt a bit weak and inflexible. Regardless of the sensations that arose we learned to address each moment with balance, with ease, with full acceptance and in doing so we maximized our potential to it’s fullest moment. Namaste…..Jennifer
This week in class we focused on “Keeping it Simple.” So often in our practice as well as in our daily lives when we are challenged we tense up. We tend to make things more difficult then they need to be which cause stress in our bodies, minds and spirits. Studies have shown that not only is our immune system affected by stress but our emotional and mental health is affected as well. Yoga is a great tool in reducing stress, becoming a witness to each moment, each breath and the fluctuations that arise within our minds. By being present and aware we are encouraged to recognize the needless complexity we place on ourselves. So the next time you feel pulled in all directions, take a deep breath, feel your body relax and remember to -Keep it Simple. Ask yourself-How important is it? Practice doing first things first and then Let Go and Let God. Namaste……Jennifer
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