Happy Monday!
Don't worry, my YogAttitude entry-peeps! I'll be writing your names down, cutting out the paper and placing them in a hat to be chosen soon. Right now I find myself 5hrs away from home, the in lovely town of Sydney Cape Breton. I'll be here for three days, presenting on bilingual language development and even a quick interview on the cbc!
I did manage to find time to squeeze in a yoga class this evening at a local studio- Tapestry. A blend of Ashtanga and Tripsichore, it was an interesting mix and I definitely enjoyed my practice while learning a few new things! The instructor, Anju, was supportive without being flowery and provided feedback without being too negative. The right amount of alignment with playfulness.
The best part- was the students themselves. In the small space (just enough for two rows of yoga mats, each against the opposite walls facing each other), the first thing I noticed were the men. It was the first time I've been to a class dominated by men. 8 men to the 5 women. And these were not all "gym" guys, ranging from young to mid-wisdomed, I could easily picture a few of them working at a local construction site or fishing alongside my dad. It was great!
Then, there were the women. I was the only classically stereotyped "yogini" there. Three more wisdomed women (one who called herself a senior) and one girl with fantastic tattoos on her feet and arms. I had a moment of, ahhh perhaps this class isn't going to be strong enough to get rid of my tension. Crazy how we judge based on appearances. I was quickly proven wrong, not only was the class a sweaty flow of breath, but those ladies kicked butt. My favourite was watching the "self proclaimed senior" kick up in headstand as if it were nothing at all. I was watching because there is no way my body can do that. lol.
There were many lessons in this class, braving a new studio as the only and most obviously "noob" in the class of regulars, accepting my own limitations and unconscious stereotypes and letting go of my own expectations.
I'm hoping to get an easy afternoon practice tomorrow between clinical assessment/consultation and parent presentation using my YogAttitude cards!
See y'all on the flip side of the island!
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label Ashtanga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ashtanga. Show all posts
Monday, December 5, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
I Reject the External Yoga Ideal; It's Time to Stop Blaming the Individual
I have a problem with "If you just try hard enough you'll be____" insert unrealistic and externally determined physical attribute. It bothered me when I became aware of the negative effects of body image and the media and it bothers me when it comes to yoga.
Yep, I am comparing the two.
I'm wholeheartedly against fitting a person's physical body in a predetermined box. Our media tells us (mostly women, but also men) what the ideal body type and look should be... and we're expected to strive for this. We know, anatomically, that only 5% of the female population, even with dieting and cosmetics, will ever fit the ideal body type. And yet still we get the message: "If you only try harder, workout more, wear a certain kind of makeup/clothing/hair style you'll look better and thus be happier". Every single media advert is based on making us believe that it is OUR fault that we look the way we do (so we should buy their product to help fix it).
I've finally made a connection with why I am so uncomfortable when I hear yoga instructors tell me that someday I will reach= a certain level of flexibility/posture/strength. It's the exact same concept of: "You can't do it now because you just haven't been practicing long enough/trying hard enough/practicing often enough", a blame the individual mentality.
Oh, for the most part it's done with only the best of intentions in mind, to motivate and reassure the student that progress occurs for everyone. At the same time there is a certain extent where I've found some (not all!) yoga instructors believe that their level of flexibility/strength/stamina is achievable by ALL students. Which implies that the only reason the student isn't there yet is due to their own internal faults.
I am a prime example. I'm thin, so I find people automatically assume I should be flexible. Ummm, far from it- as I've said many times it took two full years of regular practice to be able to *just barely touch my toes*. And yes I push myself adequately, thank you very much, I've learned the difficult way just how inflexible my body can be. Due to my extremely non-gumby body, I can easily pull and tear muscles and tendons when pushing through asanas or when they're overheated (um- hot yoga is a no-no for me). Sure I've made progress, but it is completely unreasonable to assume that even after a decade of practice (which will be three years away) that I will be able to fold forward completely in standing forward fold or seated forward fold, even if I practice every.single.day.
And I'm ok with that.
I've accepted that for me, my yoga doesn't have to fit a preconceived physical notion. I also know enough about anatomy and physiology to understand that not every person's bone and muscle structures are exactly the same, and therefore neither should their asana yoga outcomes should be the same. I resent the fact when I'm made to feel like I a) haven't been practicing often/hard enough b) haven't been pushing myself enough (umm several injuries should just be ignored right?) or c) I've just been doing it plain wrong. (Can you tell I had an experience at class last night?).
Last evening I had an instructor inform me that I can go further in "parsvottanasana" (intense side stretch), while she pushed on my back. When I informed her that "Nope, that's as far as I go" with a follow up of "It hurts" when she insisted, she informed me that I still had a curve in my lower back. Yep, that's my slightly curved spine she pointed out, how nice of her. A few more insistent adjustments and loud suggestions ("Why aren't you doing upward dog?" to my baby cobra's followed by insisting on upward dog stating that I would be hurting my lower back more with a baby cobra than an updog), resulted in my practice becoming about letting go of disappointment and anger and fighting the impulse to push my body harder.
I've had enough injuries that way and would hate to pull my achilles tendon or have intense lower back pains from too many strenuous upward dogs and savasanas.
When I approached her afterwards to thank her for her suggestions and time during class, it was to recognize for myself that she assumed even the most basic yoga postures were achievable for everyone and only meant well. (As if one hip opener is really enough to "open up the hips" for ridiculously tight people haha).
Her response was to point out that I had a consistent lower back curve in almost all forward folds and that what was holding me back: "You just have to work on not jutting your bum out". Um... My acknowledgement of "Yes, I actually have quite a natural spinal curve to my lower back" was cut off with: "Yeah, you gotta just work on tucking your tail bone in more".
At that I just thanked her and walked away. Obviously, it had never occurred to this veteran Ashtangi that some people actually have spines that are over-curved. No over tucking my tail bone is going to change the bone structure of my spine- it's not muscle habit that I stick my ass out, it's an actual spinal formation. I resent the fact that she implied I just hadn't practiced hard enough, long enough or pushed myself enough to achieve some external "perfection" that she felt would be the penultimate experience of the yoga pose.
I'm happy with what my body has achieved in the miniscule steps it has taken over the past seven years of regular, dedicated (mostly!) physical practice. I firmly reject the idea that all yoga asana is achievable and accessible to everyone should they just try hard enough/long enough.
Blessings
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Yep, I am comparing the two.
(Although this ad is 13 years old, it's still relevant today... and I heard it's making the news again recently, which is weird since it's so old...)
I'm wholeheartedly against fitting a person's physical body in a predetermined box. Our media tells us (mostly women, but also men) what the ideal body type and look should be... and we're expected to strive for this. We know, anatomically, that only 5% of the female population, even with dieting and cosmetics, will ever fit the ideal body type. And yet still we get the message: "If you only try harder, workout more, wear a certain kind of makeup/clothing/hair style you'll look better and thus be happier". Every single media advert is based on making us believe that it is OUR fault that we look the way we do (so we should buy their product to help fix it).
I've finally made a connection with why I am so uncomfortable when I hear yoga instructors tell me that someday I will reach= a certain level of flexibility/posture/strength. It's the exact same concept of: "You can't do it now because you just haven't been practicing long enough/trying hard enough/practicing often enough", a blame the individual mentality.
Oh, for the most part it's done with only the best of intentions in mind, to motivate and reassure the student that progress occurs for everyone. At the same time there is a certain extent where I've found some (not all!) yoga instructors believe that their level of flexibility/strength/stamina is achievable by ALL students. Which implies that the only reason the student isn't there yet is due to their own internal faults.
I am a prime example. I'm thin, so I find people automatically assume I should be flexible. Ummm, far from it- as I've said many times it took two full years of regular practice to be able to *just barely touch my toes*. And yes I push myself adequately, thank you very much, I've learned the difficult way just how inflexible my body can be. Due to my extremely non-gumby body, I can easily pull and tear muscles and tendons when pushing through asanas or when they're overheated (um- hot yoga is a no-no for me). Sure I've made progress, but it is completely unreasonable to assume that even after a decade of practice (which will be three years away) that I will be able to fold forward completely in standing forward fold or seated forward fold, even if I practice every.single.day.
And I'm ok with that.
I've accepted that for me, my yoga doesn't have to fit a preconceived physical notion. I also know enough about anatomy and physiology to understand that not every person's bone and muscle structures are exactly the same, and therefore neither should their asana yoga outcomes should be the same. I resent the fact when I'm made to feel like I a) haven't been practicing often/hard enough b) haven't been pushing myself enough (umm several injuries should just be ignored right?) or c) I've just been doing it plain wrong. (Can you tell I had an experience at class last night?).
Last evening I had an instructor inform me that I can go further in "parsvottanasana" (intense side stretch), while she pushed on my back. When I informed her that "Nope, that's as far as I go" with a follow up of "It hurts" when she insisted, she informed me that I still had a curve in my lower back. Yep, that's my slightly curved spine she pointed out, how nice of her. A few more insistent adjustments and loud suggestions ("Why aren't you doing upward dog?" to my baby cobra's followed by insisting on upward dog stating that I would be hurting my lower back more with a baby cobra than an updog), resulted in my practice becoming about letting go of disappointment and anger and fighting the impulse to push my body harder.
I've had enough injuries that way and would hate to pull my achilles tendon or have intense lower back pains from too many strenuous upward dogs and savasanas.
When I approached her afterwards to thank her for her suggestions and time during class, it was to recognize for myself that she assumed even the most basic yoga postures were achievable for everyone and only meant well. (As if one hip opener is really enough to "open up the hips" for ridiculously tight people haha).
Her response was to point out that I had a consistent lower back curve in almost all forward folds and that what was holding me back: "You just have to work on not jutting your bum out". Um... My acknowledgement of "Yes, I actually have quite a natural spinal curve to my lower back" was cut off with: "Yeah, you gotta just work on tucking your tail bone in more".
At that I just thanked her and walked away. Obviously, it had never occurred to this veteran Ashtangi that some people actually have spines that are over-curved. No over tucking my tail bone is going to change the bone structure of my spine- it's not muscle habit that I stick my ass out, it's an actual spinal formation. I resent the fact that she implied I just hadn't practiced hard enough, long enough or pushed myself enough to achieve some external "perfection" that she felt would be the penultimate experience of the yoga pose.
I'm happy with what my body has achieved in the miniscule steps it has taken over the past seven years of regular, dedicated (mostly!) physical practice. I firmly reject the idea that all yoga asana is achievable and accessible to everyone should they just try hard enough/long enough.
Each person should not strive to achieve an "external yoga ideal" but should find what yoga looks like for them.
Blessings
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Monday, May 24, 2010
Yoga Challenge: Update, Practice and First Mysore!
(Thank you everyone for your beautiful and supportive comments on my "Fern Gully" post last Thursday! Definitely fun to see how many of you also connected with that movie- Christa and Zack were the best movie couple ever! and how many of you feel the same as I do. So I guess that makes me less weird- and more a part of an awesome bark-huggin' club!)
My 31 day, every day Yoga Challenge to raise money for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind is almost up (thank goodness!). I'm sooo close to my fundraising goal (just 45$ more before the end of the week! click here to donate!) and there have been moments of frustration and pride, that's for sure!
*** UPDATE: I have now achieved my goal thanks to a lovely supporter- Theresa!!! Thank you ALL so very much for helping me raise 500$ for The Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I could still raise even MORE, so if you'd still like to donate, my week isn't done yet! Yay!! (cue happy dance). Now off to Karma Yoga class!
What I did that was brand new was my first EVER Mysore class.... yep and I am definitely not an Ashtangi lol.
The wonderful Jack at Sunrise Studio advised that I take the Mysore class... however maybe I misrepresented my knowledge of the primary series. As in, the postures are all familiar, but knowing the sequence definitely is not.
In any case, I was so very nervous about attending this class. I read all (four!) of his blog posts about attending Mysore, I made Andrew come with me (he took a simultaneously offered Kripalu class and LOVED it) and studied the cheat sheets furiously while waiting to get started. Holy poop I was stressed. I really just wanted to run out of the studio... but since I was the only person there that wasn't really an option. hah.
Jack was wonderfully patient and I think soon realized that I was able to do the surya namaskars by myself (fingers together, I am a finger splayer!) and that was about it. I have never received so much 1:1 attention during a yoga practice in my life- I learned SO much! However, when other people started arriving, I felt a bit awkward... I was demanding a lot of the teacher's attention (at one point he just sat right in front of my mat!).
I was also amazed at how FAST they were zipping through the postures... my sun sals and flows are very slow. I breathe slowly, lowering slowly to build strength and mindfulness of each posture, like flowing through water. I'm not so great at popping in and out of a pose without hurting myself.
This meant that there was no way I could complete the primary in 90 minutes (gasp!).
Also, I had my first real, oh crap how am I going to accomplish this, challenge with the yoga every day this weekend when Andrew and I went to visit the future "in-laws" in New Brunswick. They're pretty darn traditional (as you'll remember from our wedding issues) and although supportive of my yoga "thing", aren't exactly the yoga-types.
My plan- go to the *one* yoga class offered that weekend (there are only three studios in the city) and practice in the bedroom each morning.
Well, the yoga studio owner was difficult to get in touch with (obviously not a fan of twitter... sigh perfect example of how it could be used for business!) and didn't provide the studio's actual address on the map. Just a red "A" flag with the general street name. Right. Didn't make it on time, came back seething mad (note to self, found my zen-killer; not finding yoga studios).
Wouldn't you know, it was a beautiful morning... so I practiced on their deck outside. Although a bit weird (since Andrew's mom I guess kept peaking out and asking "whatever is she doing??"), I managed to practice about 45min each day outside in the beautiful sunshine. Perfect!
What I have learned so far in this "yoga every day" journey:
Will I practice every day after this is over? Probably not... but 20-30 minute yin yoga has actually been quite beneficial.. so I think I'll keep that :)
Blessings and Happy Victoria Day!
article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
My 31 day, every day Yoga Challenge to raise money for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind is almost up (thank goodness!). I'm sooo close to my fundraising goal (just 45$ more before the end of the week! click here to donate!) and there have been moments of frustration and pride, that's for sure!
*** UPDATE: I have now achieved my goal thanks to a lovely supporter- Theresa!!! Thank you ALL so very much for helping me raise 500$ for The Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I could still raise even MORE, so if you'd still like to donate, my week isn't done yet! Yay!! (cue happy dance). Now off to Karma Yoga class!
Hilly terrain in NB
For the most part, working full time and arriving home at supper time starving (after our 35 min walk) usually means that yoga happens between 8-9pm... resulting in lots of slower, yin type practice. Which is unusual for my vatta pitta self. I am still doing the full hour apartment 'friend' yoga once during the work week, yoga in the park (sometimes twice) on the weekends and a full yogaglo class once a week (solitary). So I guess it has been a lesson in balance.What I did that was brand new was my first EVER Mysore class.... yep and I am definitely not an Ashtangi lol.
The wonderful Jack at Sunrise Studio advised that I take the Mysore class... however maybe I misrepresented my knowledge of the primary series. As in, the postures are all familiar, but knowing the sequence definitely is not.
In any case, I was so very nervous about attending this class. I read all (four!) of his blog posts about attending Mysore, I made Andrew come with me (he took a simultaneously offered Kripalu class and LOVED it) and studied the cheat sheets furiously while waiting to get started. Holy poop I was stressed. I really just wanted to run out of the studio... but since I was the only person there that wasn't really an option. hah.
Jack was wonderfully patient and I think soon realized that I was able to do the surya namaskars by myself (fingers together, I am a finger splayer!) and that was about it. I have never received so much 1:1 attention during a yoga practice in my life- I learned SO much! However, when other people started arriving, I felt a bit awkward... I was demanding a lot of the teacher's attention (at one point he just sat right in front of my mat!).
I was also amazed at how FAST they were zipping through the postures... my sun sals and flows are very slow. I breathe slowly, lowering slowly to build strength and mindfulness of each posture, like flowing through water. I'm not so great at popping in and out of a pose without hurting myself.
This meant that there was no way I could complete the primary in 90 minutes (gasp!).
pretty green swamp on our way home (lots of these marshes in NS)
In any case, I do believe that perhaps some more beginner, guided Ashtanga would be better for my next visit- but did I ever learn a LOT about my practice. :)Also, I had my first real, oh crap how am I going to accomplish this, challenge with the yoga every day this weekend when Andrew and I went to visit the future "in-laws" in New Brunswick. They're pretty darn traditional (as you'll remember from our wedding issues) and although supportive of my yoga "thing", aren't exactly the yoga-types.
My plan- go to the *one* yoga class offered that weekend (there are only three studios in the city) and practice in the bedroom each morning.
Well, the yoga studio owner was difficult to get in touch with (obviously not a fan of twitter... sigh perfect example of how it could be used for business!) and didn't provide the studio's actual address on the map. Just a red "A" flag with the general street name. Right. Didn't make it on time, came back seething mad (note to self, found my zen-killer; not finding yoga studios).
Wouldn't you know, it was a beautiful morning... so I practiced on their deck outside. Although a bit weird (since Andrew's mom I guess kept peaking out and asking "whatever is she doing??"), I managed to practice about 45min each day outside in the beautiful sunshine. Perfect!
What I have learned so far in this "yoga every day" journey:
- having to do something every day kinda takes the fun out of it...
- sun salutations get *real* boring after a few weeks
- 30 minutes of practice can go by pretty quickly when I'm not too tired
- Practicing with friends or at a class now feels like a freebie!
- Andrew is ridiculously supportive, and without his encouragement I might have punked out a few nights (but I didn't!!)
- I am NEVER going to be extremely bendy. Just a fact. Even with continuous practice. And that is O.K.
- However, daily practice has allowed me to improve ever so slightly my forward hand to foot flexibility (although I may have pulled something...)
- Practicing yoga for a good cause feels FANTASTIC. I highly advise it! (like Roseanne from itsallyogababy. She is participating in Yoga Mala Montreal on May 30th and raising money via 108 sun sals for Le Garde-Manger Pour Tous!). who provides hot meals for kids from underprivileged families in Montreal. You can help by donating!)
Yes! forward go!!
this face is "ahhh TAKE THE PICTURE BEFORE I FALL!" face
My plan for this week (tentative) is to take a yoga class in a studio every.single.day (since I'll be practicing every day anyways!). My last yoga hoorah! Will I practice every day after this is over? Probably not... but 20-30 minute yin yoga has actually been quite beneficial.. so I think I'll keep that :)
Blessings and Happy Victoria Day!
article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Celebrating Local Studios Part 2: Sunrise Yoga Studio
Welcome back for Partie DEUX of our conversation with Jack Godfrey, owner of Sunrise Yoga Studio. Although I really enjoyed the first part of the conversation, this second part is where I really consider the answers and content to get 'juicy' :).
A quick recap: Sunrise Yoga Studio is over in Dartmouth, Coffee and Yoga crew had recently bombarded a wonderful class with Helen Fong and we were all blown away by the warmth and sense of 'actual' honest community. Jack has been teaching Ashtanga yoga for 12 years and has studied with many big Ashtangi names. Last week he stated that the Beatles originally introduced him to Yoga.
And now, for the rest of the story:
At the yoga studio. The most joy comes from seeing person that has come to the studio heal their body. I have had several people come to the studio with injured backs and other injuries and they have been able to heal them by doing yoga.
One person had been in a car accident a couple years before starting yoga. She had been going to physio and chiropractor treaments on a regular basis to help manage the pain. She started coming to yoga and after 6 months of regular (2-3 classes a week) she no longer had any back pain. She stopped physio and chiropractor treatments and used the yoga to complete the healing of her body.
Another person has environmental sensitivities and he has been able to improve the health of his body by doing yoga on a regular basis (5-8 classes a week). His blood pressure has improved. His weight has gone down. His body is healthier. He is able to manage the effects of his illness with yoga. He recovers more quickly from exposures with Yoga.
A third person has been using yoga to lose weight. He has lost 40 pound in the last eight months. He comes to about 5 classes a week plus he does yoga at home.
And of course lots of people are more flexible and less stressed. They use yoga to improve their well being. They are healthier and calmer as a result of doing yoga on a regular basis.
These people make teaching yoga a joy.
I have heard this as well. I am and elder in my church. I see no conflict between being Christian or whatever religion and having a yoga practice. I feel that they are quite complimentary. Having a calm mind and a healthy body means that I can be better at what I need to do in life and in my religion.
There was a discussion on line a few months ago about Yoga Inc (the commercialization of yoga) One person had a very insightful comment. Year ago the student would join a yoga teacher as he sat under his tree. He would listen to the teacher and absorb his teachings. If he did not agree with the teachings, he would discuss the differences with the teacher. He would learn from this discussion.
At some point the student would become dissatisfied with the teacher and decide to move on. This may be because he has learned as much as he can from this teacher or their view points no longer meshed. The student would then get up and leave this teacher and wonder along until he found another yoga teacher under another tree and he would sit down and listen to see how well their views meshed and what he can learn.
Not all teachers and not all approaches to yoga will mesh with every teacher and every student. There are many students and their are many teachers and studios. There is lot to choose from.
Most people are drawn to the physical aspect of yoga and will go to a Yoga Inc place that focuses on the physical aspect. As the they become more experienced with yoga they will develop a need for the mental aspects of yoga. They may or may not be able to satisfy that need at their current studio. If they can not fulfill the need at the current studio it is time for them to get up and wander on to the next tree and the next teacher.
The exposure of yoga in the media, makes more people aware of yoga and its benefits. This is a good thing. A lot of people will give it a try and then move on. A few of these people will give it a try and make a connection. And they will move on to the true purpose of yoga which I believe is to improve the health of the body and calm the mind and prepare it for meditation. Without the media exposure the new people would not connect with yoga and the benefits.
A finishing 'extra':
Eight years ago there were no yoga studios in Dartmouth. We all had to travel to Halifax to take classes. There were several teachers offering classes in church halls, rec centres, and community centres. There were no purpose built spaces to practice yoga in.
For several years I was traveling around the continent going to conferences for work. Every where I went, I made a point of going to yoga studios. Finding out what worked well, what I liked, what I did not like.
Then I started looking for a place in Dartmouth to open a yoga studio. It took six months of looking to find the current space. I opened a yoga studio and implemented all of the positive features that I found in those other studios and tried to avoid the negative features.
Now six years later there are three studios in Dartmouth with another opening later this year.
It's been fun.
Thank you very much Jack for giving such insightful and thoughtful answers to my questions!
Interestingly enough our topic at Coffee and Yoga last night was the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga... and I'll be going to my FIRST Mysore class ever at Sunrise Yoga Studio tomorrow night!! I'm pretty nervous, but I'm sure it will be a great learning experience. :)
You can find Jack on Twitter, facebook, his blog and his studio webpage!
Many Blessings!
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
A quick recap: Sunrise Yoga Studio is over in Dartmouth, Coffee and Yoga crew had recently bombarded a wonderful class with Helen Fong and we were all blown away by the warmth and sense of 'actual' honest community. Jack has been teaching Ashtanga yoga for 12 years and has studied with many big Ashtangi names. Last week he stated that the Beatles originally introduced him to Yoga.
And now, for the rest of the story:
6. What brings you the most Peace and Joy in your life?
At the yoga studio. The most joy comes from seeing person that has come to the studio heal their body. I have had several people come to the studio with injured backs and other injuries and they have been able to heal them by doing yoga.
One person had been in a car accident a couple years before starting yoga. She had been going to physio and chiropractor treaments on a regular basis to help manage the pain. She started coming to yoga and after 6 months of regular (2-3 classes a week) she no longer had any back pain. She stopped physio and chiropractor treatments and used the yoga to complete the healing of her body.
Another person has environmental sensitivities and he has been able to improve the health of his body by doing yoga on a regular basis (5-8 classes a week). His blood pressure has improved. His weight has gone down. His body is healthier. He is able to manage the effects of his illness with yoga. He recovers more quickly from exposures with Yoga.
A third person has been using yoga to lose weight. He has lost 40 pound in the last eight months. He comes to about 5 classes a week plus he does yoga at home.
And of course lots of people are more flexible and less stressed. They use yoga to improve their well being. They are healthier and calmer as a result of doing yoga on a regular basis.
These people make teaching yoga a joy.
7. There has been a lot of talk recently in the Yoga blog-o-munity regarding 'What is and isn't Yoga' with respect to the commercialization of yoga through organizations like Lululemon, Rainbeau Mars as well as whether Yoga is a religion. What are your thoughts on how Yoga is changed and portrayed in the general Western media-culture? Is this something to embrace as it brings more Yogis to yoga, or should we strive to retain what many call 'pure' or 'traditional' yoga?
I have heard this as well. I am and elder in my church. I see no conflict between being Christian or whatever religion and having a yoga practice. I feel that they are quite complimentary. Having a calm mind and a healthy body means that I can be better at what I need to do in life and in my religion.
There was a discussion on line a few months ago about Yoga Inc (the commercialization of yoga) One person had a very insightful comment. Year ago the student would join a yoga teacher as he sat under his tree. He would listen to the teacher and absorb his teachings. If he did not agree with the teachings, he would discuss the differences with the teacher. He would learn from this discussion.
At some point the student would become dissatisfied with the teacher and decide to move on. This may be because he has learned as much as he can from this teacher or their view points no longer meshed. The student would then get up and leave this teacher and wonder along until he found another yoga teacher under another tree and he would sit down and listen to see how well their views meshed and what he can learn.
Not all teachers and not all approaches to yoga will mesh with every teacher and every student. There are many students and their are many teachers and studios. There is lot to choose from.
Most people are drawn to the physical aspect of yoga and will go to a Yoga Inc place that focuses on the physical aspect. As the they become more experienced with yoga they will develop a need for the mental aspects of yoga. They may or may not be able to satisfy that need at their current studio. If they can not fulfill the need at the current studio it is time for them to get up and wander on to the next tree and the next teacher.
The exposure of yoga in the media, makes more people aware of yoga and its benefits. This is a good thing. A lot of people will give it a try and then move on. A few of these people will give it a try and make a connection. And they will move on to the true purpose of yoga which I believe is to improve the health of the body and calm the mind and prepare it for meditation. Without the media exposure the new people would not connect with yoga and the benefits.
A finishing 'extra':
Eight years ago there were no yoga studios in Dartmouth. We all had to travel to Halifax to take classes. There were several teachers offering classes in church halls, rec centres, and community centres. There were no purpose built spaces to practice yoga in.
For several years I was traveling around the continent going to conferences for work. Every where I went, I made a point of going to yoga studios. Finding out what worked well, what I liked, what I did not like.
Then I started looking for a place in Dartmouth to open a yoga studio. It took six months of looking to find the current space. I opened a yoga studio and implemented all of the positive features that I found in those other studios and tried to avoid the negative features.
Now six years later there are three studios in Dartmouth with another opening later this year.
It's been fun.
Thank you very much Jack for giving such insightful and thoughtful answers to my questions!
Interestingly enough our topic at Coffee and Yoga last night was the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga... and I'll be going to my FIRST Mysore class ever at Sunrise Yoga Studio tomorrow night!! I'm pretty nervous, but I'm sure it will be a great learning experience. :)
You can find Jack on Twitter, facebook, his blog and his studio webpage!
Many Blessings!
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Spiral Arteries and Ashtanga Moon Time Restrictions
This is my "moon time" and I am having some difficulty keeping my happy smile up. Since I've shed my estrogen-pee habits these times have become more trying. At least I can say it's natural.
Why am I sharing this? Because I am on my period and I still practice yoga. Gasp. It would seem that we talk a lot about menstruation here, with my copious praises to the Diva Cup... however I do firmly believe that menstruation is something that isn't talked about enough in our society. We hide it, continue to view our periods as dirty and *gross* when 50% of the human population (between 11-55yrs) has this week-long phenomenon monthly. So why are we still ashamed? Perhaps the thousands of years of cultural negativity has some blame. Just maybe.
I remember when I first started my period, I thought my life would END for the entire week. I shouldn't go hang out with friends, couldn't swim, couldn't do too many physical activities... What if I didn't get to a bathroom in time? Being a teenager sucks, especially a monthly bleeding one. Now, although I had grown considerably (many many feminist readings, classes and empowering friendships later), when I started to practice yoga this period-stop your life- theory applied. I had SUCH difficulties with those ridiculous tampons. They weren't comfortable, they leaked, they caught... I hated them. I hated practicing yoga during my moon time, it gave me pause to seriously consider punking out each month.
The Diva Cup completely changed that. Now, moon times mean no rush to the store, no leaks, no worries for the entire day (12 hours!), as much physical movement as I would like! Oh the freedom! Now my yoga is not dependent on my menstruation.
A recent comment has reminded me why I have resisted reading specific texts in detail... It was asked whether I was aware that Ayurveda recommends never placing plastic in the vagina, including tampons. Actually, no I wasn't aware. But now that I am... my answer is: The Diva Cup is silicone.
I agree, plastic (with it's petrochemicals and leaching BPA properties), especially chemically bleached cotton, should never have graced my beautiful vaginal walls. Just like that new chemically dyed pink breast cancer toilet paper won't come within ten meters of my bum. I am so happy that I have found a safe and chemical leaching-free alternative.
Now, if the theoretical reason behind this "no plastic in the nether regions" has to do with some sort of no-obstruction rule... than I have to say that I disagree. And this is where the ancient texts study "block" comes into the picture. For practical reasons I cannot see why I would want to use a diaper-styled apparatus to "catch" my flow. I find them uncomfortable and restricting. I don't want to be restricted by the fact that I menstruate. Further, as far as I have read there has been no overall scientific data stating that catching the flow with a silicone cup is damaging in any way to the vaginal walls or overall health of a woman.
These thoughts started me thinking about how in certain practices, women are either restricted completely, discouraged strongly or told to practice a modified sequence while on their period. The theory (and please clarify if I've interpreted too loosely as I haven't read actual theoretical Ashtanga texts) is that it should be a time for rest.
Like my body stops functioning properly when I'm on my period. Right. Menstruation has actually been found to be a time of heightened activity, intellectual clarity, feelings of well-being and general happiness. (Woman: An Intimate Geography p.107). The theory that shedding our endometrium lining is calorically expensive (i.e. that bleeding decreases energy levels) has been refuted by several scientists in recent decades. Keeping UP our rich caloric-eating uterine wall would in fact be MORE costly than shedding and regrowing once a month (Strassmann, B; Human Nature 1992). From this we can infer that women should in fact be MORE tired pre-post menstruation than during.
Furthermore, I'm always cautious when interpreting medical texts. The Western medical system has been fraught with misogyny and patriarchal roots. Modern medicine has always been a "man's" world and subsequently the study of female anatomy and physiology was either minimal, or biased. It has only been in the past two or *maybe* three decades that science has taken a more feminine spin. Also, we need to remember that most traditional texts were written by men, from a culture with a history of hundreds (if not a thousand) years of patriarchy. Blood was viewed as a reason for concern, and instead of being celebrated was often thought of as some sort of injury, malaise or "wrongness" (to name some nicer terms).
Now I may be more clumsy, I may have a bit less balance (personally trying to practice Tree pose during my moon time is wobbly!) and I may choose to practice more soothing postures... but the key word is "choose". As there is no anatomical nor physiological reason why practice a sweaty vinyasa practice should somehow "damage" my uterus, should I feel inclined I will.
The theory that inversions during menstruation could be harmful has also been poorly supported empirically. Kinda like the theory that a tampon could get "lost" up there. Up where? It's not like the menstrual stuff is going to tip up and leak back in. The cervix takes care of that.
Menstruation is most definitely NOT a passive process. We don't passively leak out from gravity's influence. Menstruation is dynamic. Our spiral arteries (three) feed two superficial layers of the endometrium. Pre-period these arteries grow longer and tightly corkscrewed and circulation to the endometrium slows down. 24 hours prior to the flow, they constrict tightly and blood flow ceases completely. As a result, the endometrium tissue starts to die, followed by a release of the arteries and blood flows again, pooling beneath the lining and forcing it to separate. A few more start and stops and essentially we have menstruation.
Where in that active process is there any indication that blood flow is controlled willy-nilly and could be redirected elsewhere (by say, an inversion?). I'd say that if you hold an inversion for long periods of time and start to feel wonky... perhaps it's because you'd held the inversion for a long period of time... and not because you have a uterus that sheds.
For all of that, I have no problem with other women choosing to: wear pads or not practice during their moon times. My wish is that we can make these decisions based on solid non-biased information as opposed to traditions that imply something lesser or restricting.
Many Blessings!
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Why am I sharing this? Because I am on my period and I still practice yoga. Gasp. It would seem that we talk a lot about menstruation here, with my copious praises to the Diva Cup... however I do firmly believe that menstruation is something that isn't talked about enough in our society. We hide it, continue to view our periods as dirty and *gross* when 50% of the human population (between 11-55yrs) has this week-long phenomenon monthly. So why are we still ashamed? Perhaps the thousands of years of cultural negativity has some blame. Just maybe.
I remember when I first started my period, I thought my life would END for the entire week. I shouldn't go hang out with friends, couldn't swim, couldn't do too many physical activities... What if I didn't get to a bathroom in time? Being a teenager sucks, especially a monthly bleeding one. Now, although I had grown considerably (many many feminist readings, classes and empowering friendships later), when I started to practice yoga this period-stop your life- theory applied. I had SUCH difficulties with those ridiculous tampons. They weren't comfortable, they leaked, they caught... I hated them. I hated practicing yoga during my moon time, it gave me pause to seriously consider punking out each month.
The Diva Cup completely changed that. Now, moon times mean no rush to the store, no leaks, no worries for the entire day (12 hours!), as much physical movement as I would like! Oh the freedom! Now my yoga is not dependent on my menstruation.
A recent comment has reminded me why I have resisted reading specific texts in detail... It was asked whether I was aware that Ayurveda recommends never placing plastic in the vagina, including tampons. Actually, no I wasn't aware. But now that I am... my answer is: The Diva Cup is silicone.
I agree, plastic (with it's petrochemicals and leaching BPA properties), especially chemically bleached cotton, should never have graced my beautiful vaginal walls. Just like that new chemically dyed pink breast cancer toilet paper won't come within ten meters of my bum. I am so happy that I have found a safe and chemical leaching-free alternative.
Now, if the theoretical reason behind this "no plastic in the nether regions" has to do with some sort of no-obstruction rule... than I have to say that I disagree. And this is where the ancient texts study "block" comes into the picture. For practical reasons I cannot see why I would want to use a diaper-styled apparatus to "catch" my flow. I find them uncomfortable and restricting. I don't want to be restricted by the fact that I menstruate. Further, as far as I have read there has been no overall scientific data stating that catching the flow with a silicone cup is damaging in any way to the vaginal walls or overall health of a woman.
These thoughts started me thinking about how in certain practices, women are either restricted completely, discouraged strongly or told to practice a modified sequence while on their period. The theory (and please clarify if I've interpreted too loosely as I haven't read actual theoretical Ashtanga texts) is that it should be a time for rest.
Like my body stops functioning properly when I'm on my period. Right. Menstruation has actually been found to be a time of heightened activity, intellectual clarity, feelings of well-being and general happiness. (Woman: An Intimate Geography p.107). The theory that shedding our endometrium lining is calorically expensive (i.e. that bleeding decreases energy levels) has been refuted by several scientists in recent decades. Keeping UP our rich caloric-eating uterine wall would in fact be MORE costly than shedding and regrowing once a month (Strassmann, B; Human Nature 1992). From this we can infer that women should in fact be MORE tired pre-post menstruation than during.
Furthermore, I'm always cautious when interpreting medical texts. The Western medical system has been fraught with misogyny and patriarchal roots. Modern medicine has always been a "man's" world and subsequently the study of female anatomy and physiology was either minimal, or biased. It has only been in the past two or *maybe* three decades that science has taken a more feminine spin. Also, we need to remember that most traditional texts were written by men, from a culture with a history of hundreds (if not a thousand) years of patriarchy. Blood was viewed as a reason for concern, and instead of being celebrated was often thought of as some sort of injury, malaise or "wrongness" (to name some nicer terms).
Now I may be more clumsy, I may have a bit less balance (personally trying to practice Tree pose during my moon time is wobbly!) and I may choose to practice more soothing postures... but the key word is "choose". As there is no anatomical nor physiological reason why practice a sweaty vinyasa practice should somehow "damage" my uterus, should I feel inclined I will.
The theory that inversions during menstruation could be harmful has also been poorly supported empirically. Kinda like the theory that a tampon could get "lost" up there. Up where? It's not like the menstrual stuff is going to tip up and leak back in. The cervix takes care of that.
Menstruation is most definitely NOT a passive process. We don't passively leak out from gravity's influence. Menstruation is dynamic. Our spiral arteries (three) feed two superficial layers of the endometrium. Pre-period these arteries grow longer and tightly corkscrewed and circulation to the endometrium slows down. 24 hours prior to the flow, they constrict tightly and blood flow ceases completely. As a result, the endometrium tissue starts to die, followed by a release of the arteries and blood flows again, pooling beneath the lining and forcing it to separate. A few more start and stops and essentially we have menstruation.
Where in that active process is there any indication that blood flow is controlled willy-nilly and could be redirected elsewhere (by say, an inversion?). I'd say that if you hold an inversion for long periods of time and start to feel wonky... perhaps it's because you'd held the inversion for a long period of time... and not because you have a uterus that sheds.
For all of that, I have no problem with other women choosing to: wear pads or not practice during their moon times. My wish is that we can make these decisions based on solid non-biased information as opposed to traditions that imply something lesser or restricting.
Many Blessings!
article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Hello Ashtanga... Do you still like me?
A few years ago Ashtanga and I broke up. Not for good, but perhaps more like a: "I need some space". Deleted him(her?) from my facebook, didn't answer phone calls or emails... you know. Some breathing room. (Me watching the ocean in front of the studio)I've read several places how yogi/nis go through this evolution in their practice, exploring new styles, absorbing and embracing asanas and instructors which ultimately creates a practice perfectly unique.
When I first started my yoga practice, I gravitated towards Ashtanga. Weird since I couldn't even touch my toes and had the arms of rubbery string beans, but my mind was TOTALLY Ashtanga. No stopping, always worrying, thinking go go go. I couldn't stop and slower practices which force the body to stop just created a space for anxiety and stress to fester. I wasn't ready. If I beat my body into exhaustion then MAYBE I could lay still for savasana (it took two years to feel comfortable closing my eyes).
In any case, once I left Montreal and began my personal practice in BC I
began to notice that the quick in-out of postures and rigidity of sequence in Ashtanga just wasn't making me or my body happy. I wanted to slow down
and practice each posture safely- which I wasn't able to do yet with the quick movements in Ashtanga. So I stopped attending or considering all
Ashtanga yoga. For three years. (The side of the studio's rustic balcony)
Tonight was my first facebook message "Hey, it's been a while... so.. how're ya?" with Ashtanga Primary Series. I was nervous, ready to be defensive and storm off in my righteous, "Ashtanga sucks!" attitude... and was completely, pleasantly surprised. I could actually move through the sequence without gasping for air. I felt strong and happy. The repetitiveness of the Sun Salutations was a nice break for my mind to quiet and focus on my movements. I almost PEED MY PANTS when the strong yogini next to me went from plow to upward dog- that's possible??? I wanted to clap, but thought that would be rude...I was so excited to be chanting and the Ohms, so long neglected in such a large setting, felt beautiful. The vibrations surrounded my body and lifted my spirit. "Hello Ashtanga!!"
Despite this temporary meeting, I still believe that Ashtanga and I are not well-suited... and just aren't that good for each other.... But at least we're now friends.
I suppose the fact that it was at the Sail Loft Yoga studio helped my
feelings of giddyness. After months of being in the cement city, smelling the salty ocean air, hearing the surf and the gulls just felt overwhelming. Right, THIS is what home feels like. All that drama of trying to find the silly studio (with no sign or civic address) was marvelously worth it. Cathy, the instructor was lovely, kind and supportive (and a kick-ass yogini twice age!!). Although a 40 minute drive just doesn't sit well with my "eco" self, I will definitely make a trip out again for a special workshop or occasion (Grace, what were you thinking about the next Ashtanga event in a few weekend?? :) ).
On our drive back J., Andrew and I ate yummy yummy cookies that she brought to share. Inviting J. to yoga is such a great idea... she always brings treats!! (The view from inside the studio and bottom picture is right in front of the studio up on the cliff).
Does anyone else have break-up and reconnect yoga stories?
Blessings!
This awesome article and the pictures are authored and copyright of EcoYogini.blogspot.com
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