Yoga.... It gets me. My passion is teaching, I could care less about anything else, but at the same time, what am I teaching. I learn anatomy and now I have this interwoven into my classes, I keep trying to learn more, but will I ever know everything? I think that's the point. In actuality, we all know everything, it is just tapping into that knowledge that's the key. And in order to tap into that knowledge we must be silent, we must find stillness, and we must turn inward. Sometimes listening is the hardest thing, being quiet, not interrupting, just listening, we all like to hear ourselves talk, right? Mhhh, maybe not, I tend to be the quiet listener in the room full of people, but if I know you I can talk your ear off. It's about finding something within us that is untapped, and waiting. I have tears filling my eyes as I write this. I have found this in my restorative practice; I recently (December 2019) became certified by Judith Lasater, queen of restorative yoga, as a Level 1 Relax and Renew instructor. This past week, I added a couple of new classes onto my schedule with the option of buying class cards: Yin on Fridays, Flow on Tuesdays, Calm on Wednesdays and Restorative on Sundays (you can see the class options HERE if you're interested). Point is Restorative Yoga, one student registered and attended class, the class is an hour with only a set-up of 3 poses, why three you might ask, well, for restorative yoga, you need enough time to allow the body to relax, and that doesn't happen within 10 or even 15 minutes. At the beginning of the first class this past Sunday, I tried to set an expectation of release, and that there would be enough time for the body to find that point between sleep and awake, between present and spacey, in addition, I made sure to emphasize the importance of prop set-up and comfort in each pose. Part of Restorative yoga is having a warm, dark, quiet and still place to practice, and our mantrum for the training was "Stiram Sukkam Asanam" (which is from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras pada (chapter) 2 verse 46, we talk about a new verse of the sutras every Sunday morning in the Philosophy Circle on SOO Kula online community) this means, Abiding in ease is asana. So, I asked the student at the end of class how the poses felt, and I think she was pleasantly surprised by how she found that space, that sweet spot between being in the room and feeling like you're floating on a cloud. She says, "It truly is a great Sunday afternoon getaway." It made me so happy that she allowed her body to surrender to finally relax and renew.
If this story (true story) calls to you, try out Restorative Yoga on Sundays at 4:00pm and find your sweet spot. This post isn't to persuade you into purchasing a class rather it is information for you to consider on how you can feel that same way. My passion is to help and guide my students and I would love everyone to find the time for themselves so they can relax and find a sense of renewal.