Final Practice Journal: My Yoga Experience

I honestly cant believe its the end of the semester. When I first decided to take this class I really didn't know what to expect. Ironically, the summer before I started going to some classes in my hometown. I found that the classes I attended were very low key and easy. So , I thought I was pretty prepared to start to go weekly. The entire semester practicing yoga was an interesting one. although I went to mainly the same studio, I feel as though I got different taste of yoga styles and how different instructors teach. I tried hot yoga, yin yoga, ashtanga, bikram and even some meditation. By taking this class I was thrown into a world I truly didn't know existed. I was very much in the mindset that yoga wasn't more than a hour long class that you wouldn't even break a sweat in. I didn't realize there was ritual, history and philosophy behind the practice.
Concerning the rituals behind practice, I didn't really think there were any before I started to go and really take note. Before every class the instructor would just thank us for being there and ask us to only do what we felt comfortable with. As a group we would take a moment to have a couple of deep breaths together and unwind. At the end of each practice we would say om together and bow while having hands at hearts center. These rituals were subtle and not forced but they made a difference. We were unified as a group when all voices said "om". As I stated in my fourth journal about rituals, " I would have to say there is some ritual to my yoga experiences. Even within the very class itself there are rituals we follow and the positions we practice seem to be ritual. I think the ritual shapes the experience by making it seem structured and some formality to it." The rituals that yoga follows is a good set up for those on their path to enlightenment. 
When concerning the physical side to yoga Its a  lot more difficult than I ever expected. I didn't realize that I would break a sweat as much as I did and thats not even taking into consideration that hot yoga classes I attended. As we learned more in class it was explained that by sweating, I wasn't properly breathing and being balanced. I was exacerbating myself and was straining my body. When I became more conscious about my breath techniques yoga became easier. I found myself getting stronger as the weeks went by and by the end of my practice was able to hold poses for quite a long time. Something I really respected concerning the physical part of yoga is that every yoga teacher made it a point to make us push our bodies but only in a safe way. They didn't want anyone to get hurt and would show different ways to use blocks and straps to practice in the safest  and most comfortable way. If I tried a pose and was in pain I would adjust myself till I got comfortable. In my eleventh yoga blog i talked about how the body is used in conjunction with spirituality, "The role of the body, in my experience, is a vessel for your spirit which will try to reach enlightenment. We have learned in class that the goal is to stop being reincarnated in a human body and to be a spirit for eternity. In class we practice to be fully aware. We want to be in the moment and use our bodies to maintain proper breath and be tranquil. I know that when I practice I try to forget my body when a we are meditating. I choose to breathe and feel myself leaving my body so I can experience something more divine."
An ongoing theme that I noticed throughout the semester is yoga and community. This is quite a juxtaposition, or so i thought. Yoga seems to be something that is so solitude. In fact yogas renounce life in a community and go off by themselves to practice in solitude for years, yet here, we focus on making it a communal practice. By having girls yoga nights and yoga and wine tasting. It mad me question whether practice that is meaningful can be done in a group setting. If the goal is to reach enlightenment, why do we need others to be a distraction. If yoga is supposed to be about an internal goal, why must we do it together? I believe this is one of the many ways that yoga has evolved into more of a social gathering than a spiritual experience in the west. In my own experience, When i went to practice I didn't like it being a community. I liked practicing alone and not trying to mingle too much. Since I was new I definitely felt like an outsider at time which defeats the very purpose. We are their for ourselves but just happening to be practicing side by side.
Is yoga medicine? Thats something that was brought up a lot. Nowadays any doctor can recommend some light exercise with some good benefits and mention yoga. after a semester worth of research I do believe that yoga is good for the body. There is an overwhelming amount of testimonials where people say that yoga has helped with their chronic pain, stress and anxiety. Through my own experience I can say this semester was one of my most relaxed ones yet. Could it have anything to do with my weekly practice? I cant be sure but I did find that my hour f practice usually was a peaceful one. I t was silent and I felt my body relax as I became more flexible and relaxed.
Meditation was the last type of practice that we did during the week in class. This was something that I just couldn't get into. I found myself falling asleep and not really gaining anything from. Although I do understand how yoga and meditation tie together with the breath work and being truly in the moment. I am glad I took this class. I feel as thought it educated me on a topic I normally would have known nothing about.

Thirteenth Yoga Experience

Is yoga taught as a spiritual practice? How is spirituality defines and expressed in your practice space(s)?


I do believe that sometimes yoga is taught as a spiritual practice. Between the meditation and the respect for a single guru I believe that a lot of yoga can be mistaken as either spiritual or religious. I think that spirituality believes that there is a greater power and greater wealth of knowledge and I think through yoga, the dedicated yoga strives for enlightenment. I would have to say through my own practice I haven't been really exposed to anything spiritual but in my own way, during the quiet moments of breathing I use it to reflect on my own catholic life. 

Twelfth Yoga Experience

How is pranayama taught/practiced in your practice space(s)? What is the purpose of breath work in your practice space? Is breath the "focus"of your practice? Explain why it is, or is not.


Pranayama or breath work has been incorporated in most of my practices. it usually depends on the teacher but I have found a lot of emphasis on breath in most of my practices and I think it adds to the benefits of yoga. Its not secret that breath work helps calm you and ease anxieties. I like how it keeps me grounded when I practice yoga. I think we often hold our breath when we do difficult things but I have been learning to breath through things. Although breath is not the focus of my practices I do find that my heart rate is able to be more stable and I stay cooler for longer. By regulating my breath and paying attention to it I am able to make smoother transitions with each position.

Eleventh Yoga Experience

What is the role of the body? How is the body approached and how is the body seen as a vehicle for experience of the divine?

The role of the body, in my experience, is a vessel for your spirit which will try to reach enlightenment. We have learned in class that the goal is to stop being reincarnated in a human body and to be a spirit for eternity. In class we practice to be fully aware. We want to be in the moment and use our bodies to maintain proper breath and be tranquil. I know that when I practice I try to forget my body when a we are meditating. I choose to breathe and feel myself leaving my body so I can experience something more divine. I can personally say that there have been some times when I have been very enlightened. In the sense that I was focusing on nothing worldly but something part of the bigger picture. I think when practicing in the right atmosphere and in the right mind everyone can experience something like this.

Tenth Yoga Experience/ In class meditation

Reflecting on the semester to this point, I can think of two distinct classes at grow yoga that were very meditation based. And, those two classes stand out as my favorite. Yoga was used as a form of mediation to take us on a more spiritual than physical journey. For most of the class I was on my mat laying down with a bolster under my head and my blanket on me. It was explained as being in the moment and being aware of where I was spiritually. The instructor told us that this was time to focus on ourselves. Focus on the calmness and tranquility around us. She did some guided imagery and told us to breath in and out and focus on now and bring ourselves back every time our minds started to wander. She spoke in a slow and calm tone and I noticed my breathing starting to slow and a lightness in my body. I was totally into myself and not really aware of my physical body but more on what was really important in life. I started to think about what I was grateful for and grateful for the beautiful day that was laid before me. I was genuinely happier after. And that how I felt after our meditation on Thursday! Our meditation in class wasnt ideal as I was laying against the wall in a well lit room with a huge crowd but it did allow me to self reflect. I found myself calm and ready and in control of my emotions. I had to take a big test right after and felt like I was in the right mindset to do so. 

Ninth Yoga Experience

For this weeks yogas practice I did beginner yin yoga. This week I wanna reflect on how my body has changed and is still changing. When I first started yoga I was very weak and could not hold many poses for too long. I would have classified myself as being really un flexible and had really poor stamina. As each week passes and I attend my Friday Class I find myself getting stronger. I am getting stronger and able to hold each pose longer than I was the previous week. This positive feedback keeps me coming back to my class and makes me look forward to see how my body is developing. Beyond making the physical body stronger I have found myself letting my guard down and allowing myself to be fully present when my class closes their eyes and meditates. I am able to finally fully relax and let the weeks stress leave me as I prepare to practice. The community that practices helps, In the beginning I expected everyone to be very judgemental but I have not noticed that at all. I can see that everyone is there for themselves and sends out nothing but good vibes. As i Continue to practice I can see how yoga centers and ground people, I find myself calmer during the weeks and more physically balanced as I practice.

Eighth Yoga Experience

In the context of my practice space I would define yoga as the practice of making a connection. I feel that each time I go to a class to practice that connectivity seems to be the most common theme. Whether it be a connection to the teacher, so you let them in and allow them to show you the way, a connection to others in the class and realize as we synchronize breathe that we are all here, in this moment for the same thing, or even a connection to ourselves, being present and fully aware of our being in this moment, forgetting everything that has previously happened and accepting who we are in the here and now. Yoga support all three of these aspects of connection within the walls of the studio and it is something i have increasingly noticed happening with me. As I practice , each time I found myself letting in the teacher and trusting that each time they adjust me that they are looking out for me, that in that split second we are connecting. I also find myself trusting myself more and allowing my body to do what it feels like it needs to do.