May 14, Flora and Hot Yoga
I want to share a bunch photos of some of the flora that’s around me, so I’m going to do it here in this story of yoga. What better place to share the beauty of nature than in a talk about yoga. In case you're wondering, it's raining. All day.
this is a pattern in the sand |
As I mentioned previously, I found a yoga class that meets twice a week. I was able to just do my practice without thinking about the teacher because it was a recording of a Bikram Yoga practice. 2 breathing exercises and 26 postures, each done twice over 90 minutes in a heated, humid room. I was told it was a hot yoga class, but sometimes in my experience that has also meant a Vinyasa Flow style class in a heated space. Not this one. I was surprised though that they were just using the recording, no one to lead the class. It did feel good to be warm and to stretch out my body that has been sitting and standing a lot more than I’m used to.
When I first began practicing yoga it was at a Bikram Yoga Studio. Three days a week, 90 minutes, heated between 95 and 104 degrees with 40% humidity. Two breathing exercises, one at the beginning, one at the end and the same 26 postures each done twice, every single time. I did this for about 3 years until I started to realize there must be more to yoga than just 26 postures done without talking, being led by a Gumby type person in tiny shorts and a sports bra, saying things like “if you can, you must” and ”push, push, push,” or "pull, pull, pull."
I realized I had so much to learn about anatomy and an individual’s physiology. And about the whole of yoga. It’s so much more than the asana practice we do with our body. After about 7 years of practice and seeing the benefits of my practice and how my teachers were evolving in their practice and in their lives, I thought maybe, I too, could teach this. I wanted other people to be able to get the benefits of yoga that I felt. I also wanted it to be a sustainable practice for an aging body. I knew that I might not be able to continue with an active practice such as Vinyasa or Ashtanga, and that there are others out there who aren’t able to do those types of practices either.
putting on colors for the festival |
I was fortunate to find a teacher training program that was focused on alignment and not just memorizing a specific sequence of postures to be done in the same order every time. I learned about the philosophy of the 8 limbs of yoga. I learned how to put together sequences and I learned I was going to be on this path for the rest of my life.
When I moved to Arizona I began to teach yoga at a nearby neighborhood. I quickly discovered I had to let go of my idea of what my style of teaching was going to be. The flow went away and the adaptive process began. I developed a Chair Yoga program, which then led me to develop a class for maintaining and improving balance. One of my teachers offered me her Yoga for Beginners class at the local recreation center so I began teaching another challenging demographic. I took some online continuing education courses to help me learn how to serve this type of student. I have been teaching now for almost 8 years. When the pandemic began, my in person classes stopped and like so many others I turned to Zoom to continue to provide guidance in this practice. I will continue to seek out others who can guide me and embrace all it has to offer. It has seen me through challenges in my life, the loss of my father and my aunt and other people I’ve loved and let go in my life. It has given me strength to move through the end of my marriage and to look within to find my authentic self. I am grateful too, for all of the wonderful people I have met throughout my practice, and for all of the wonderful people I haven’t yet met.false lily of the valley
I hope some day you’ll join me in a yoga experience.
Hi Valerie. It's been a lot of fun following along with you on your journey. I really enjoy the photos, especially if the sunsets and the flora🤗 Who knew there was so much to know about
ReplyDeletelighthouses? I always viewed them as places of mystery, like in a movie or book where some dramatic scene played out, or as places long forgotten, including the souls whose lives are woven into their history.
When does rainy season take a break around there to allow for warmer, drier weather?
Have you seen much wildlife there?
Peace Out for now
P.s. I'd like to experience one of your yoga classes when you get back to sunny Arizona😊
Really neat to hear about your journey! And, the pics are amazing! I particularly liked the one of the sand…I love textures. So glad you have found your niche, and it has helped you through your difficult times. I wish that for everyone. And, the bonus of being able to share it with others through teaching is great!
ReplyDeleteDo you want to know what to do for the International Yoga Day? Here are some international yoga day celebration ideas for you. Check out these ideas before planning yoga day and celebrate this historic day.
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