Letter written to Yoga Fundamentals students May 13, 2020
Hello Yoga Fundamentals friends,
Thank you so much for joining me in the virtual yoga class world as we practice the fundamentals of yoga together! I understand it can be challenging to move things online, so I hope things smooth out for us over the next several weeks. We will keep trying to move past these technical difficulties as best we can.
Last night’s practice was: ‘The Fundamentals of Yoga Poses: creating purposeful shapes that are all your own’
nail the basics with self awareness
I believe it is really important to understand the “container” of poses, the do’s and don’t’s, etc, so things are safe/effective. However I also believe it is vital to understand where you are TODAY and practice out of a healthy respect for yourself.
This means not only are you practicing safe alignment and getting into those muscles a bit, but it is also recognizing how you feel energetically (are you tired? energized? sad? happy? neutral?) and also knowing your past history and personal approach to things (injuries? tend to push too hard or not enough?). Being self-aware of the subtle nuances of your body, it’s proportions, and simply connecting to you is such a productive approach when you hit the mat (and life!!).
Our shapes are individual to ourselves and they become all our own as we fill them in with our minds, bodies and breath
a mindful moment & reflection
So here are a few “mindful moment” questions for you:
#1 Why are you beginning or renewing your yoga practice journey?
#2 What is one thing you have learned that helps you build a safe and effective yoga shape?
#3 What is one unique attribute that you have learned about yourself (mind/body, etc) today that you can apply to yoga shapes you make? (examples: current energy levels, previous injury, returning from a break, a need to progress or regress, knowing that you tend to over or under exert, etc)
This is just a simple reflection for you so you can continue a mindful approach to yoga.
I hope you had fun last night! I know sure did. It made me so happy to be teaching a class again.
Sign up today for our weekly live online Yoga Fundamentals class on Zoom!
With joy,
Michelle
