Tag: yoga for balance

I Hope You Dance

May 24, 2012
Posted by Sharon
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Yoga Matrika now offers two very unique classes that are not traditional yoga or, at least, different from what you might expect from a yoga class.  In my discussions with some students in the community recently I have heard comments that reflect some fear of trying these different classes and the fear seems to be based entirely on the names of the classes.  These classes both have some dance terms in their names and it seems as though the idea of dance is terrifying for many adults.  It seems to me that it might be helpful to think about what yoga is and put these “dance” classes within the context of traditional yoga philosophy.

At first glance, or perhaps even after some deeper consideration, classes with names like “Yoga Dance” and “Yoga Booty Ballet” may not seem like real yoga classes.  Yoga is sitting around on the floor chanting Om or doing downward facing dog or back bends or sun salutations—-right?  So, what is the relationship between dance and movment that is not asana-based and yoga?  I invite you to consider the definition of yoga provided by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras:

1.2

yogash chitta vritti nirodhah

 Yoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination,
stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications (gross and subtle thought patterns) of the mind field

yoga = of yoga, union; literally, to yoke, from the root yuj, which means to join; same as the absorption in samadhi

 chitta = of the consciousness of the mind-field

 vritti = operations, activities, fluctuations, modifications, changes, or various forms of the mind-field

 nirodhah = control, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination,understanding, stilling, quieting, setting aside of

 

 If yoga is the control of the modifications (movement) of the mind away from the constant distraction of the hamster wheel of your mind activity (you know, what happens when you sit down to meditate and you are immediately flooded with memories, your to do list, picking your toes, plans for the future—all at the same time!), then these classes that require focus on creative movement, sensation in the body and intention are most definitely yoga.  While we may have come to equate the practice of asana (physical postures) with the defnition of yoga, the truth is that many different things can, by Patanjali’s definition be yoga.

Dance is the loss of inhibition—-it is letting go, in this moment, of concerns about how you look and allowing your body to respond to the rhythm of the music and to the pleasures of the movement itself.  Dance is an invitation for breath to move not only in and out of the body, but through every cell of the body as you enliven your limbs and the extensions of your spine.  Dance is not some tortured experience of your memory of some fall social gathering in a church basement.  That memory is exactly the mind-stuff that holds you back from the liberation that you are likely to experience in a yoga-based movement or dance class.  This is not about uncomfortable shoes, clammy hands or a date with two left feet and a bad attitude.  This is not about you feeling uncoordinated—-this is about allowing yourself to explore pleasure through movement. 

All of the fears that you have about trying a new type of class or about dancing are sourced in the movements of the mind—–and these mental gymnastics are what keep you from living fully.  If you have these mental movements in response to the idea of taking a movement-based yoga class, I encourage you to see them as just that—-mental movements.  Do not allow them to control your decision—–try the Yoga Dance class you are so curious about!  Try the Yoga Booty Ballet class!  What is the worst thing that can happen?  What is likely to happen is that you will be nervous and for the first few minutes of class, you may question how you got yourself into this ridiculous situation.  While you learn the movements and try to find your ground in the first few minutes of class, you may feel clumsy or like you don’t know what you are doing.  Then, you will begin to focus on what is happening in the moment as you become immersed in the activity.  Slowly, slowly you will release your commitment to the movements of the mind and engage with the movement of your body, the sounds of the music, the feeling of breath and—–all of a sudden, you are doing it and it is yoga.  After class, you will feel centered, open and liberated—–not just because of the joyful nature of the class, but because you did not allow the movements of your mind to stop you from giving the class a try.  You tried it and you survived and nothing bad happened—–as a matter of fact, you think you’re going to come back next week!

I really hope you give our two movement-based yoga classes a try.  They are a wonderful and fun way to improve the health of your body, heart and mind.  These classes will also help you expand your definition of yoga as you strengthen and tone the body.  When can you take these wonderful classes this summer?

Monday Evenings
7:30-8:45 pm
Yoga Booty Ballet (YBB) with Aleta Howard

Tuesday Evenings
7:30-8:45 pm
Yoga Dance with Alexis Shaw

Written by Sharon Rudyk, owner of Yoga Matrika.   If she can do it, so can you! 

Day 3: Week One of 8-Weeks with Rodney Yee

April 17, 2012
Posted by Sharon
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In today’s practice I have discovered what two pregnancies have done to me.  Well, at least I think that is what is to blame.  Apparently, I no longer have any inner leg strength.  If you’ve never practiced tree pose, then you don’t know what I’m talking about.  But, if you’ve ever put the sole of your foot onto the inner thigh, you will recall (unless the last time you did tree pose was a LONG, LONG, long time ago…..) that you not only press with your foot into your thigh, but the inner thigh presses back into your foot.  This not only helps with balance, but it helps to maintain the strength and integrity of the standing leg.  Well, aparently, I no longer have any inner thigh strength at all.

In other words, my gracilis is nillis and my sartorius is nowhere to be found—burried under some, uhmm, “fatty deposits”………..

Makes me kind of wish that Rodney Yee were here to help me figure out how to find my inner thigh again.  OK, let’s be honest, I don’t kind of wish that Rodney Yee was here, I definitely wish that he was here.  But, in his absence, I hear the voices of my own wonderful teachers in my head and I am:

1) activating “root lock” aka. secret chakra action center or mula bandha

2) pressing my big toe into the earth

3) dropping my sitting bones and lifting my thigh bone to engage the thigh into the pelvis

and, of course…….

4) hanging on for dear life (I have this wonderful dresser at a perfect height in my living room.)

I just found this Real Simple article outlining some “easy” exercises I can do to strengthen my inner thighs—maybe when I’m done with 8-weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee I’ll start these exercises and let you know what happens. Or, maybe I should just make sure I get to Aleta’s Yoga Booty Ballet classes on Saturdays at Yoga Matrika!

Please feel free to join me in my 8-week program with Rodney Yee. You can share your own experience by leaving comments on this blog. It’s OK if you start on a different day or we get out of sync. This is going to be fun!

Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, the fearless leader of Team Matrika. Are you in Pittsburgh, PA? Join us for a great class at Yoga Matrika in Squirrel Hill.

Yoga for Balance: Anusara Yoga with Elsie

May 12, 2009
Posted by Sharon
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For a couple of months, Yoga Matrika has had the great fortune of the addition of an Anusara Inspired class on Mondays at 6:00pm.  This is a great fortune not only because of the value of Anusara yoga in terms of style and content, but also because the instructor, Elsie Escobar, is just such a beautiful person and fabulous teacher!  But, we’ve noticed that not many Yoga Matrika students are coming to check out this new class. 

Anusara teacher training is one of the most thorough available and it demands that instructors commit to a significant number of hours of training and experience.  There are levels of teacher training and this system ensures that any instructor who is permitted to refer to themseleves as an Anusara Inspired or Anusara instructor is highly trained and has a great deal of experience.  This training requirement means that there just aren’t that many Anusara instructors in the world and our opportunity to study in Pittsburgh is limited to the TWO instructors that are trained in this way and live in our region and when KK Ledford blesses us with a visit from California.  So, there’s a reason why you might not have heard about this kind of yoga.

Elsie is going to be offering some small group private lessons teaching the basics of Anusara and also offers a class, Yoga for Balance, every Monday night at 6:00pm.  This class is based on the Anusara principle of “Balanced Action”:

This would be the balance between Muscular Energy (conscious flow of energy originating from the inner body that creates stability, strength and physical integration in the pose) and Organic Energy (this energy carries the expansive qualities of heart, it creates expansion, length and breadth, opening the body, and freedom of movement in the joints.

“Balanced Action is the secret of yoga’s power to create radiant health. When combined with good alignment, balanced action optimizes flexibility and strength, accelerates healing, and brings radiant health to all parts of the body. In addition, the circulation of blood, lymph, oxygen and prana is optimized. Both the connective tissue and the internal organs become healthier due to imporved circultation and a stronger internal pulsation”

The best place to find information about Anusara yoga is directly from the official website: http://www.anusara.com.  Here is a list of the things you can expect from an Anusara class:

The 11 Elements of an Anusara Yoga Class

 

1. The Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness underlies the methodology of teaching Anusara yoga. Consequently, Anusara yoga teachers, first and foremost, look for the good in all things, especially within themselves, their students, and fellow Merry Band members. Anusara yoga teachers help enhance and reveal the beauty and Divine qualities that are already present in the students’ poses. They do not try to “fix” or “correct” students’ alignment. Instead, they are dedicated to serving each student and helping them unveil their innate goodness, worthiness, and Supreme nature. Furthermore, Anusara yoga teachers are committed to helping build and empower each student’s self-esteem, while inspiring light-heartedness, playfulness, and joyful creativity within the yoga practice.
2. Each class begins with an invocation/centering as a devotional recognition of the grace-bestowing power of universal Spirit within and around us.
3. Each class has a heart-oriented theme, which has a meaningful connection to the grand spiritual purposes of the asana practice. The theme usually centers on cultivating a virtue—a quality of mind or heart, which is a microcosmic reflection of our Divine nature. Each theme gives a direction for the attitudinal energy that infuses every action and breath in the poses. Effectively, all the poses in Anusara Yoga are expressed from the “inside out.” The theme is intertwined with the postural instructions throughout the class.
4. Teachers apply an elegant, concise set of alignment principles called the “Universal Principles of Alignment” throughout an Anusara yoga class. A central idea within the Universal Principles of Alignment is the 3 A’s: Attitude, Alignment, and Action. This foundational concept within the Anusara method infuses every pose with a meaningful intention connected to the grand purposes of yoga, creates awareness of specific postural alignment, and fosters balanced action between stability and freedom. The first Principle is ‘opening to Grace’, while Muscular Energy and Organic Energy are the two complementary forces that provide each pose with balanced action between stability and freedom. Secondary alignment principles include Spirals and Loops, which help to bring refinement and precision to each pose.
5. Movements and actions within every pose are coordinated with the breath.
6. Teachers walk around the classroom observing attitude, alignment, and action of all the students. They check postural alignments in each pose in reference to the Universal Principles of Alignment beginning with the foundation and general form of the pose. The teacher first gives verbal adjustments and then physical adjustments to the students if necessary in order to enhance their poses. In addition, students may modify poses or support themselves with props if necessary to achieve the general form of pose.
7. Teachers offer succinct, clear postural demonstrations when necessary to either support the specific heart theme of a class or to clarify alignment instructions.
8. The Anusara yoga method is designed to serve students of any level of experience or ability, from children to seniors, and students with special therapeutic needs to advanced practitioners. Therefore, the philosophy, postural instruction, sequencing, and pacing of instructions presented in the class is appropriate to the level of students present. All students are guided to achieve the general form of the pose in order to ultimately experience some expansion of inner freedom and consciousness.
9. Although there are no set postural routines in Anusara yoga, classes are designed using principles of sequencing. One of the principles includes progressively sequencing poses to help students of all levels advance in their practice. Students are not given more advanced poses until they can perform more intermediate poses with good alignment.
10. Classes are concluded with Savasana and/or meditation in order to help better assimilate the teachings and honor the spiritual experience of the class. A concluding centering is used to reiterate the heart theme. Students are left with a blessing or a reminder on how to continue to embody the heart theme “off the mat” in their daily life.
11. Ultimately, each student leaves an Anusara yoga class feeling better about him or herself, empowered and delighted by the revelation of his or her Divine nature (Chidananda).