Today I learned a new yoga pose Baby Grasshopper!
I took a Level 2 Vinyasa class and yes it was fun to learn a new challenging pose and “nail it” But what this post is about is not nailing a yoga pose (which is fun for sure) but the conversation that was had AFTER class. The instructor was telling us about an upcoming Yin Yoga workshop. She mentioned that she had actually never taken a Yin Workshop before because in the past, she didn’t feel like it was for her since it encompassed so much stillness. But, upon further conversation, she stated that she remembers when she took her 200 hour teacher training years ago, all she wanted to do was nail all the difficult inversions, but by the end of the training, she realized that what she learned the most about was how to be still. So perhaps now, she has evolved to the point where she may want to consider taking the Yin Yoga Workshop… Hmmm, sound familiar? It did to me, and got me to thinking about how I have evolved in my yoga practice over the past 20 years.
I began my journey with yoga in 1999, and dove right into Power Vinyasa. I loved the flow and the physicality of yoga, it reminded me of dance which is my first love. Since at that time (and still) I was a group exercise instructor, I decided I had to teach yoga and took my first yoga teacher training. I met amazing people and was enveloped into the yoga community which was exploding at that time. And I did ALL the THINGS.
I went to India and studied, I wore the mala beads, sang kirtan, taught in Sanskrit and did all things yoga.
Some might say it changed my life path. and it did. I taught classes that were themed to yoga philosophy, filled with complex sequences of challenging poses, ending with transformation (or so I hoped) BUT…..eventually I was disillusioned. Some of my teachers were revealed to be frauds who were merely using yoga to line their pockets, and actually cared little about the teachings and certainly did not practice them. I kind of broke away from yoga for a while, still teaching but definitely being more discriminatory in what I believed and practiced.
Then I was able to study with an amazing teacher of Restorative Yoga and Yoga Therapy, Leeann Carey and learn the nuances of the physical practice as a student and a teacher. I was introduced to the therapeutic applications of yoga through teachers such as Mukunda Stiles, Matthew Taylor, and Matthew Sanford (to name a few) which led me to integrating yoga therapy as an integrative physical therapist. My teaching went from focusing on deep philosophy to more simple straight forward concepts of mindfulness and awareness, the breath and ease of movement. My personal practice no longer needed to be a “work out” but more of a “work in”
This is not to devalue those who enjoy the physicality of practice with a intense hot yoga class or power vinyasa with loud distracting music and disco lights, that is super fun! But to me, that would not be my yoga practice, but perhaps more what I would do for fun and as a workout.
As I teach now, I teach more Slow Flow VInyasa, incorporating organic movements in the beginning of class for myofascial unwinding, flow to warm the body and teach awareness, challenging postures integrated with mindfulness movements which therapeutically help the students connect to mind body. And I also incorporate strength training and rehab principles within the movements…just enough but not so much as to turn the yoga practice into a physical therapy session (yuck)
As a practitioner and teacher, I am who I am now because of my experience, not despite it. And this process took 20 years and hopefully I will continue to grow and evolve. I can’t wait to see what my practice will be in the future.
For you, if you are new to yoga as a student and certainly as a teacher, know that your practice will change with time, and it should. Experience where you are now, but also be open to other possibilities, other perspectives.
Believe not because someone told you it is true, but because you know it to be true from your own experience.
Trust yourself. And yes, it’s ok to try and nail that pose !
Visvamitrasana!
