Yoga Blog 6

        Yoga is seen as a healing practice in my practice space because I don't think a yoga practice should depend on a location and scenery.  Yoga can be done anywhere, which is why there are so many different forms of yoga that come from all over the world for different reasons.  Although, with all of my yoga practices currently being on zoom due to the pandemic, I often try to convert my practice space to make it feel like more of a healing space.  My practice space then becomes a healing space because I make it one.

        I always close the door when I am practicing yoga to limit noise and make it as quiet as possible.  I also will open up a window if it is nice outside to get some fresh air in my practice space.  The olfactory system is also one of the strongest direct lines to our emotions, which is why I often light candles or use my essential oil diffuser because it calms me down and makes me feel more at peace.  I think scent is extremely important in a healing space.  

        This healing property of yoga is often communicated through the yoga instructor.  In any of my previous classes, my yoga instructors have talked and guided the practice through a calming tone of voice and give directions to calm oneself during class such as how Madfit expressed in my youtube yoga class this week.  She expressed her breathing in a calming way, such as "exhale as if you are breathing out all of the bad energy and negative thoughts."  This healing tone and practice is always a part of any yoga practice I have taken part in, besides certain strength and conditioning classes I have taken.  I always feel stretched and relaxed after doing yoga.  Depending on the time I do it, I feel differently.  If I do it in the morning I usually feel more energized and motivated throughout the rest of my day, and when doing it before bed at night, I feel calm and usually sleep better and can fall asleep quicker.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yoga Session 2

         For this week's yoga experience, I decided to try a short YouTube yoga class instead of going to an in person or zoom class because my week was rather busy and I wasn't sure if I would have time to take part in a scheduled class.  I did a class with "Madfit," because I have heard good reviews about her YouTube channel.  This post was only a twenty minute full body stretch and yoga for stress and anxiety relief.          The setting she taught her video class in was a well lit room which was painted light gray room with white floors, and a small leafy tree plant in the right corner.  Her setting in which the video was taught felt very calm and was aesthetically pleasing to look at.  She spoke very calm, slowly, and quietly which made the practice feel very tranquil.  She explained that this was meant to be a brief practice so viewers could practice do this in the mornings and in the evenings to stretch your body and to reduce stress before the day begins and b
Read more

Yoga Blog 1

            My first yoga experience this semester was with Yoga Body 360 located in Manahawkin, New Jersey.  A close friend of mine is an instructor there and is certified in a variety of different kinds of yoga such as trapeze yoga, gravity yoga, and yoga wheel.  They offer some classes in person, but I chose to take a class online so I didn't have to practice with the mask on.  I have taken a gravity yoga class with her before the pandemic in person, which I really enjoyed.  I decided to try gravity yoga for the first time.            Unfortunately, since it was on zoom I wasn't in the yoga studio environment, but I did the class on my apartment's balcony because it was really nice outside.  It was a little windy, but it kept me cool and comfortable during the class.  I never actually knew how gravity yoga was different from regular prior to signing up for the class.  Gravity yoga consists of holding positions for long periods of time to release a stretch reflex.  We hel
Read more

Yoga Blog 3

           This week I decided to write about our class with Diane Polli.  Our zoom class with Diane was much different than other forms of yoga I have tried.  Diane taught us a class of Bikram yoga.  Diane has been practicing Bikram yoga for most of her lifetime, and has practiced all over the world in places such as Bali, India, New York, Los Angelos, and Texas.  Bikram yoga consists of 26 distinct yoga poses, taught in cycles for sixty minutes.  It is typically only used as a form of exercise and breathing practice.          Bikram yoga typically does not incorporate any spiritual aspect of yoga from my understanding, but Diane Polli incorporated a small spiritual relaxation at the end of our practice.  I've done multiple types of  yoga before, in which have all included basic poses like a downward facing dog or pigeon pose.  The Bikram yoga class I took part in did not use a lot of basic poses that are very common in yoga.  Diane explained how 360 degree poses were most importa
Read more