Tonight I found myself in need of some asanas but without the willingness to attend a yoga class. I’ve spent the last three days with my immediate and extended family, celebrating the 100th birthday of my great-grandmother, and I was awhirl with emotions by the time I returned home. One of the best ways I know to soothe myself is to expend some energy through yoga, but I didn’t feel up for the intensity of power vinyasa, which is the moderately athletic style I’m currently learning to teach.
Fortunately for me, power vinyasa is just one facet of the gem that is yoga, so I decided I’d find a low-key video on YouTube and take it easy with some basic hatha poses. I clicked on the first video that appealed to me and was immediately rewarded by a peaceful demonstration of some very accessible postures. The session didn’t force me to break a sweat but my breathing definitely picked up the pace, which is exactly the balance I was looking for.
Because as much as I value yoga for its physical benefits, and thus appreciate working up a good sweat, sometimes I’m more in need of the psychological benefits. I still need the structure of the exercises to guide me, but a gentle approach where I can move slowly lets me focus on my breath and pay attention to the smallest details of each asana. Relaxing through deep breathing provokes a calm concentration that seems to reduce mental chatter and dislodge feelings, allowing me to process my thoughts and emotions with patience and understanding.
I was surprised to notice that the instructor included poses that I have previously found challenging, but the way she introduced them into the sequence, they simply felt like a natural progression. I wasn’t tempted to push or strain, only to feel my body and to pay attention to nuance. I also noticed that this sequence included modified versions of poses I am already familiar with, and I noticed that the modifications made my attempts easier and more confident–but they did not diminish my effort or the felt effects.
As I go through teacher training, I’m learning about many styles of yoga and could see myself teaching gentler, restorative classes in addition to motivating more active yogis to exercise in power vinyasa classes. Because not everyone needs to go fast, and humans have varying energy levels and physical abilities. I’m so pleased that people at sites like yogayak.com provide online classes and information about yoga. Like them, I’m passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone, and I’m deeply appreciative that tonight’s experiment left me feeling relaxed and refreshed, full of gratitude and with an open heart.
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