week 14

This weeks prompt is 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?

In my yoga class that I regularly attend is that the role of your body is to focus on your mental state and your breathing. Basically just focusing on your body itself. My instructor walks around reminding us that we can do this, don't sell yourself short. You can do this just focus on this position and breathing and you will succeed. She will walk around and talk about how our body is our temple. We need to cherish our bodies. We should push our bodies to the limit that out brains think that we can handle and go beyond that.  

week 13

For this week we had an in class meditation session. I've always heard good things about meditation and how I should try it. While we were doing it in class I could not "empty my thoughts" I couldn't sit still, I couldn't keep my eyes closed. I was very antsy. I'm not sure if it's because I had a long day and I couldn't concentrate or if meditation just wasn't for me. I've always wanted to try meditation and I'm a little bit upset that I couldn't get the full effect of it. In the future I will like to practice it more, because I believe the benefits for meditation is exactly what I need. 

week 11

No prompt. no journal entry.

week 10

Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Definitions of Yoga --How is defined in the context of your practice space(s)? What kinds of connections are made to this definition and your group practice? Are there connections made outside of the context of the practice space?

Yoga is defined as a way of life in my practice space. I feel that overtime I go to my yoga class I feel a form for connectiveness. This class you feel on a spiritual level. before class we all sit on our mats and do a moment of silence for those who pray. Every time i go to class a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I forget about real life for an hour and just strictly zone in on myself, which I rarely do anyways. I feel that after taking this class this semester that yoga has all different types of meanings to different people, may it be a way of life, may it be for religious reasons, may it be for health benefits, it all has a meaning to someone. 

week 8

This week was spring break, I went to florida to visit my family again. While I was there my sister and I went to another yoga class together. This time it wasn't on a beach. We went to love yoga center. This place didn't feel as if it was a ritual yoga studio. It felt more of a "gym" environment. We did a bikram class and it just didn't feel right. This was not the kind of experience I was hoping for. Nothing about this class made me feel like I can conquer anything. I would not recommend my sister to go back there. 

Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga as a Lifestyle & Culture -Yoga has made a transition from "traditional culture" to "counter culture" to "pop culture" here in the West. What have you observed about yoga that firmly establishes it as "pop culture"? What has been the effect on yoga in the West?

In my regular yoga studio in north field Brittany tries to keep is as traditional as possible. It is easy to branch off into the "new" type of yoga. The yoga that people think that yoga is. Let me explain, for instance they believe yoga is just a form of stretching and to look cute. Girls these days don't understand the true meaning of yoga. They just want to do yoga because the mainstream perceives that girls who do yoga are just 10x hotter than the girl who doesn't. 

week 7

This week we practice Sivananda yoga. Out of all the practices we tried so far I think I'm gravitating towards this practice more. I liked dhow you would do some positions and then have a moment of rest. The resting part is a big plus for me. I like to do yoga as a relaxing "exercise", although there were handstands to be done, you can always modify just like I did. After the vigorous postures a relaxing breathing minute was much needed.

This weeks theme was yoga as a lifestyle and culture. "Yoga has made a transition from "traditional culture" to "counter culture" to "pop culture" here in the West. What have you observed about yoga that firmly establishes it as "pop culture"?" Of course yoga as established into "pop culture". Every social media outlet advertises yoga as a young hip exercise. If you do yoga and post it on social media you're automatically better looking than the girl who doesn't do yoga. Many people who do yoga today do it for the wrong reasons. Most of them just go so they can wear the super cute outfits and stretch. Yoga to me is something more. I go to let go, I go to have a peace of mind for 90 minutes, I go to seek help from my anxieties. Yoga does a lot of good much more than just getting more likes on your photo.

Week 6

This week I did another all levels power yoga. Which again kicked my butt. Yoga at my practice is considered a healing practice because it heals you from within. At Grace and Glory they are very much into the healing aspect of yoga. If you ask anyone what they consider "yoga" they'll say a healing exercise. When I was in pain in my lower back a few years ago my doctor suggested to go to yoga class a few times to help with the pain. I just looked at him and thought well wouldn't that make me feel even more pain? I never followed up on his suggestion. Knowing what I know about yoga know I probably would of started a while back.
After practicing for yoga for a few weeks now I see why people go and practice for healing. Every class after I feel energized, healthier, and have a better out look on life. I feel like I can conquer anything in my way. I feel like my body is slowly changing. I feel more flexible than ever, I feel like I may have lost inches around my waist (although the scale doesn't agree). After this semester I am going to stick with yoga because it helps me mentally and physically.

week 5

For the inclass portion of my practice I found it to be quite challenging. I liked it and hated it at time. I like that it was more of a challange but I also hate that I had to take breaks to get back down to normal. There was a lot of focus and trying to do headstands yeah....... not me! For my weekly practice I practiced with Brittany again at Grace and Glory. This place seems like a community to me everyone in the classes talk before hand are all on first name basis and they also welcome you and listen to you as if you're the only one in the room. When I go there I don't feel judged, I feel as if they help me along when I know I can't do certain positions. I am a very shy person and I normally do not talk unless being talked to. While at GG that feeling went away as soon as the front desk host said hello. Something about that place feels like I've known these people for longer than just a few weeks.

Week 4

This week in class we practiced Iyengar yoga. I enjoyed this yoga practice because it was much more relaxing focusing on our breaths and our posture. The instructor Annie walked around to help us get deeper in the position and to also help us if she saw we were having a hard time. Earlier this week i attended a all levels power yoga at Grace and Glory with instructor Brittany. Once again this class was a heated class. First we started out in an OM then started to get right into positions. This was my first classes attending this type of class. In the class you can tell that there were people who have been doing yoga for a long time and people who were like me, only recently starting. There was not breaks in between positions. We just flowed right into the next position as it was one long position. Overall, I liked the Iyengar yoga best this week. For me, I like to do yoga as a relaxation tool not so much for an exercise.

week 3

As we practiced bikram yoga in class on Thursday, it was different than the one I practiced. I again did bikram yoga at Grace and Glory with Brittany in Northfield. The bikram in class on Thursday was not as intense as the one at Grace and Glory. The instructor that came into class, he name was Kris. Kris went through the poses nice and slow and didn't rush through. At Grace and Glory, we rush through them as its just one big motion. I can not keep up and it's hard enough with sweating bullets slipping all over the mat. On Thursdays class it was more of a strengthening practice to me. At Grace and Glory yoga is interpreted at exercise, in my opinion, there isn't much time to "relax" and focus on our breaths. Sure maybe once I get the positions down and can understand what they are talking about then sure maybe it'll be relaxing. But for my, bikram yoga is a form of exercise. I would prefer doing Kris's form of bikram. Still need to practice more!

week 2

For this weeks yoga session, I went to a place around me called Grace and Glory yoga in Northfield. I probably should of done my research on Bikram yoga, since we were discussing it in class I thought I'd give it a shot. WELL! come to find out they set the room at 100 degrees with humidifiers scattered around the room. Turned fans off, closed all windows and doors and off they went with their practice. It was much harder for me personally than my last weeks session. This was more of a "workout" than before. It was a lot of strengthening positions and I am not the one who can balance on my hands with my knees tucked under my armpits. My instructor Brittany first had us lay out our mats and sit down and start to om. Then jumped right into the practice. She came around and would push us deeper into the position. As she was walking around she was talking and to be completely honest I had no idea what she was talking about. All I was concentrating on was how hot I am and how these positions are incredibly hard.

What makes this place a sacred place would be the vibe they give off to each person. When you first walk into the studio you kind of get this sense of calming. Everyone coming into the reception to sign in is friendly with each other. I felt very welcoming on my first time they asked for my information, why I wanted to try yoga, if i have ever tried before, and if I have any medical conditions they need to be aware of. When you walked into the room where the practice takes place the lights were dimmed the fans going very slowly people laying on their mats, eyes closed, in pure relaxation. For my next week's class I think I'm going to try something a little different a little less exercise and a little more meditation. :)