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.
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