Mary's Yoga Thoughts

Restorative or Yin yoga is a slower paced, "cooling" yoga practice, which usually involves staying on the ground and using lots of props like bolsters or pillows. I've loved attending these types of classes while pregnant, nursing an injury, having a low energy day, or simply needing deep rest or a stress-relief session. I have often fallen asleep during these classes, as there is often ample time in each pose to breathe and sit in stillness. Lights are kept low, and I typically keep a sweatshirt on. The energy here is very tamasic (heavy) or sometimes sattvic (balanced).  I really enjoyed teaching a series of Restorative classes this summer, and we also included guided meditations each time. I did my best to remember to allow plenty of quiet space during these classes, for students to experience the poses and let yoga be the teacher. I liked having this option, especially for people who had physical or other limitations they felt prohibited them from attending a vinyasa-...

 In the context of yoga, there are 12 physiologies, including physical systems, mental, spiritual and ethereal. A Yoga practice benefits all 12 systems. 1. Integumentary 2. Fascial 3. Skeletal 4. Muscular 5. Circulatory 6. Respiratory 7. Digestive 8. Eliminative 9. Endocrine 10. Nervous 11. Mental-Emotional 12. Pranic Number 11 is one of my favorite parts of practicing yoga.  Here are some notes I took recently, addressing how yoga affects the Mental-Emotional, from my YTT manual at Bodhi Yoga .   "A balanced Yoga practice will increase mental function, concentration, focus and awareness. When postures are repeated on each side of the body, it connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This re-wires the brains coordination toward creative and logic thought connections. With each positive experience, where the yogi attains things that seemed beyond their reach, ideas of self-doubt and negativity are transformed into a place of openness, and non-judgement. This r...

The Chakras (or 'wheels') are subtle energy centers in the body that have a spinning or spiraling action, resonating with a particular frequency and be associated with certain colors. They all line up along the spine, and there are seven main ones that are often discussed in this complex energy system. Ideally, they would all be open, but not overly active. When a certain chakra is blocked, there can be physical, mental or emotional effects.  Kundalini yoga describes both a "manifesting" (top to bottom) and a "liberating" (bottom to top") current that travel through each of us vertically, along the "wheels of life" or chakras. At times we can move an idea that comes to us through inspiration/ the universe to knowing, speaking about it, setting our heart on it, using our willpower to take action, and eventually bringing it into physical existence (manifesting). At times we need to liberate something that is holding us back or no longer serving ...

Emotions are energy in motion. It is healthy to allow them to flow through us. If we don't allow ourselves to feel it and work it out through the body, like movement (yoga, dance, exercise, intuitive), or speaking or crying or yelling or laughing etc...we will eventually act it out in our behavior, or our body will retain it and it may turn into illness. At times during yoga we can ask the subconscious mind if there is some energy/feeling that may need to be released.  As the body-mind-spirit connection is real, It's natural for a physical yoga practice to bring up emotions that may have been suppressed. Its one of the natural benefits of yoga. This is something I reminded one student about, when she commented to me that she was surprised to start sobbing during a hip opener.  At this time, I'm learning as a teacher to quietly support, hold space and let the student experience their own practice, not interfering. A light touch, offering a tissue, compassionate voice ...or t...