"Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are."
~Jason Crandell
I love yoga! Practicing yoga along with Jin Shin Jyutsu is a perfect combination for keeping a sense of balance in my life. In many of the poses, I can do some simple self-help holds or mudras at the same time clearing blockages and restoring balance and well-being. I often suggest yoga to my clients (and Jin Shin Jyutsu to my yoga students) as a support for the healing work that we do together. The practice of yoga brings with it a blissful peace in body, mind and spirit.
"Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions." ~B.K.S. Iyengar
In his writing, 'The Meaning and Purpose of Yoga', Bhole Prabhu says that "Yoga defines itself as a science--that is, as a practical, methodical, and systematic discipline or set of techniques that have the lofty goal of helping human beings to become aware of their deepest nature. The goal of seeking to experience this deepest potential is not part of a religious process, but an experiential science of self-study. Religions seek to define what we should believe, while a practical science such as meditation is based on the concrete experience of those teachers and yogis who have previously used these techniques to experience the deepest Self. Yoga does not contradict or interfere with any religion, and may be practiced by everyone, whether they regard themselves as agnostics or members of a particular faith." There are many forms of yoga and not all yoga is the same. The yoga that we are most familiar with is an aesthetic approach that puts a high priority on accomplishing an idealized shape. The yoga that I practice and teach takes a functional approach.
Define FUNCTIONAL - "designed to be useful, rather than attractive."
With this FUNCTIONAL approach we put a high priority on using simple shapes to expose the restrictions that are affecting our mobility in order to invite those restrictions to slowly dissolve over time. Our main focus is to stimulate the joints, to improve circulation, and promote relaxation and to thereby calm the nervous system. Practices are designed to enable the practitioner to develop a skill within their nervous system to experience their natural state of pure being, peace and ease. This accessible practice is adaptable to support any body. I love that this functional yoga method that we practice meets each and every person where they are each day and adjusts as our bodies change and adjust over time.
When you are new to this method, it may take a few classes until your body starts to understand our approach. It can feel a little weird and different from other forms of yoga. Add yoga to your daily self-care routine and you will be surprised by a new peace of mind, sense of graceful movement and ease of breath!
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." ~Author Unknown
Comments