Being laid up with a broken leg, I am unable to practice yoga asanas as I usually do. It doesn't mean that I'm not practicing yoga. There is more to yoga than the physical poses.
Since my fibula fractured on 8/10, I have shifted from a dynamic flow to practicing kundalini yoga. It's defined as
a physical, mental and spiritual discipline for developing strength, awareness, character, and consciousness. Practitioners call Kundalini yoga the yoga of awareness because it focuses on the expansion of sensory awareness and intuition in order to raise individual consciousness and merge it with the Infinite consciousness of God. As a form of yoga and meditation, Kundalini's purpose is to cultivate the creative spiritual potential of a human to uphold values, speak truth, and focus on the compassion and consciousness needed to serve and heal others.
It's a very different practice from the last 25 years for me, but this is not the first go round for me. Recovering from surgery in the past, I've turned to kundalini to help with the process.
I'm not able to practice the asanas. I am able to practice the breathing, meditation and mudras. Long deep breathing is the center of kundalini
Make your spine straight, whether you are sitting, standing, or lying down. This whole breath is done very slowly and consciously, and the air moves in and out through your nose, not your mouth.
INHALE
Then slowly move your belly outward. As you do this, you are automatically drawing your diaphragm down.
As your diaphragm moves down, it pulls the bottom of your lungs down, thereby pulling air into the bottom of your lungs as a bellows action. Allow your bottom ribs to expand, and then expand the upper ribs to bring air into all of your lungs!
EXHALE!
Now slowly move your belly in.
This pushes your diaphragm up, and pushes the air out of the bottom of your lungs. Contract your bottom ribs, and then the upper ones for a full exhalation.
PACE
Do this as slowly and fully as you can comfortably do it. And be sure that the length of your inhale equals the length of your exhale!
(from www.kundaliniyoga.com)
The current meditation that I've been using for the last few weeks is:
Mudra: Have the hands in Gyan Mudra, or resting in Buddha Mudra in the lap. Maintain a strong Neck Lock (jalandhar bandh).
Mantra: Chant the Adi Shakti Mantra, EK ONG KAAR SAT NAAM
SIREE WHA-HAY GUROO
One Creator created this Creation.
Truth is His Name.
Great beyond description is His infinite wisdom.
in a 2-1/2 breath cycle, in the following manner:
Inhale deeply and as you pull in the navel abruptly, chant EK. Then ONG KAAR is drawn out. Give equal time to Ong and Kaar. Inhale deeply and as you pull in the navel abruptly, chant SAT. Then NAAM is drawn out. Then, just as you get to the end of the breath, add a quick SIREE. (pronounced S’REE.) Inhale half a breath, pull in the navel abruptly, chant WHA. Then HAY GUROO (HAY should be relatively short, GUROO is pronounced G’ROO and is drawn out, but not too long.) The Ong Kaar and Naam Siree are equal in length. The Wha-hay Guroo is equal in length to Ong. Try not to let the pitch fall.
(ifrom www.kundalinirising.org)
While the practice of asana is an integral part of yoga, you can still practice yoga if you are physically unable.
Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. Margaret D. Nadauld
Showing posts with label practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label practice. Show all posts
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Drifting In & Out
Starting next Friday, March 2, I will be teaching yoga at my local studio. It's been an amazing journey to this point and I'm incredibly excited by it, but also nervous as heck. The what if's tend to take over:
What if no one comes to class?
What if no one likes my teaching?
What if I mess up the flow?
What if what if what if??????
I can turn it around too:
What if there's a waiting list because my class is so popular?
What if I make a killer playlist?
What if everything flows perfectly?
It's a matter of perspective.
I will be teaching "plus size" yoga, although any size person is welcome. It's a class designed to teach body confidence and acceptance. I know in my personal experience, when you are larger you have a terrific disconnect from your body. Yoga attempts to restore that connection. When you are disconnected, you begin to mistake one thing for another, which is a disservice to everyone.
For example-hunger. I know when I'm disconnected, I am constantly hungry. I'm not physically hungry, but I feel like I am. It's an emotional hunger more than anything else. I am craving something else and substitute food for it.
Many times dehydration plays a big part of it. I don't drink enough water most of the time, which can cause me to mistake hunger for thirst. Being disconnected allows for this misperception.
Yoga helps to restore that connection. When you practice yoga, you have to intertwine mind, body, breath to move.
I credit yoga for my personal success. The discipline that it has taught me to be consistent. To listen not for the thunder and lightening, but the still small voice on the gentle breeze:
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a a still small voice.
1kings 19:11-12
What if no one comes to class?
What if no one likes my teaching?
What if I mess up the flow?
What if what if what if??????
I can turn it around too:
What if there's a waiting list because my class is so popular?
What if I make a killer playlist?
What if everything flows perfectly?
It's a matter of perspective.
I will be teaching "plus size" yoga, although any size person is welcome. It's a class designed to teach body confidence and acceptance. I know in my personal experience, when you are larger you have a terrific disconnect from your body. Yoga attempts to restore that connection. When you are disconnected, you begin to mistake one thing for another, which is a disservice to everyone.
For example-hunger. I know when I'm disconnected, I am constantly hungry. I'm not physically hungry, but I feel like I am. It's an emotional hunger more than anything else. I am craving something else and substitute food for it.
Many times dehydration plays a big part of it. I don't drink enough water most of the time, which can cause me to mistake hunger for thirst. Being disconnected allows for this misperception.
Yoga helps to restore that connection. When you practice yoga, you have to intertwine mind, body, breath to move.
I credit yoga for my personal success. The discipline that it has taught me to be consistent. To listen not for the thunder and lightening, but the still small voice on the gentle breeze:
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a a still small voice.
1kings 19:11-12
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