Tags
blueberries, happy feet, If yoga was a slurpee, mango and banana, Mumble the penguin, resorative menstrual practice, Shadow Yoga, Uddiana Bandha, Yoga, yoga workshops
Perhaps all mango and banana-type goodness? Maybe with some blueberries thrown in? Something at any rate, that satisfies all the senses and leaves a super-wonderful after-taste and a shiny glow of satisfaction and joy.
Perhaps y’all can tell that I’m a little bit excited about a couple of yoga workshops coming up for this month? They’re happening at the Shadow Yoga studio I frequent, and if I was Mumble the penguin I’d be doing my happy feet stomp right about now… 😉
(I know. You’re asking, what’s with the slurpee and penguin metaphors? Well just blame Summer, which has FINALLY and indelibly arrived! Yay!)
This weekend I’m participating in a four-session (twice a day) series on the practice, theory, purpose and benefits of a resorative menstrual practice. It’s kind of for women, natch.
Which is awesome, because sometimes us chicks just don’t have the same energy to practice when menstruating. And I want the download from some of the most awesome yoga teachers I know on the topic! Good for me, and good for my current and future yoga students.
Then, the week after next is a five mornings-in-a-row series on cultivating Uddiana Bandha – considered to be “the bridge between the gross and subtle practice of yoga”.
Most yoga classes taught in the western world primarily focus on the synchronisation of breath and movement (if you’re in a decent class), but rarely touch on the bandhas – a Sanskrit word meaning “lock”. And I get why that is, what with the turn-over of students and just how long it can take people to develop any sort of body awareness. Even learning how to breathe and then remembering to do so while holding Warrior II can be challenging enough!
But Shadow Yoga is very big on Uddiana Bandha. In fact, you could say that it’s central to the practice. From regular use of this bandha over the last 15 months I can tell you it’s a super-wonderful addition to any yogi’s practice. I mean, I’ve studied and occasionally/randomly used the bandhas (there’s actually four of them in total) for years before I started Shadow Yoga, but I’ve never had a teacher emphasise their use quite like this.
Anyhoo… it’s Friday afternoon (huzzah!) and I’m due at the studio at 7am tomorrow morning. Must remember to get to bed early! And yes, there will be reports from each of these practices…
Hope you’ve got a WONDERFUL weekend planned, too!
~ Svasti xo
Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness 
Pear and Pineapple. Fresh, clean, and uplifting. 😛
Yes, just getting them to breathe with their entire center is such a difficulty. People breathe with their shoulders…it continues to amaze me how much.
Anyway, I always lift my shirt (and I have on a tight “belly” underneath) to show them my how much my stomach moves in and out for deep breathing and SOMEONE always starts to giggle uncontrollably.
Which makes me smile. But also makes me a bit sad…that we are so very blocked as a culture that seeing a stomach move makes people (women, in particular) so nervous.
Honey and Ginger – soothing and energizing!
I am all about restorative yoga during my menstrual cycle – and at other times like recovering from jetlag (now)!
I like to start my mornings with Udiyana kriya and it makes a huge difference to my digestive process all day. Thanks for reminding me of it!