My Yoga Experience

My yoga experience...it has been interesting, to say the least. I was actually really looking foward to taking this class. I was not disappointed. I had no prior knowledge of yoga or many of the things that we had learned about this semester. When beginning my practice I really thought I was going to have a lot of trouble with the postures, but that wasn't the case for the most part. The exception being the head and shoulder stands for the most part, as well as a few others. 
We talked about yoga and ritual. Ritual in nature itself and how the space we practiced in could also be ritualized. To me, I feel that yes yoga is a ritual, or it can be depending on the person. Obviously, this would not pertain very much to those who use it as a physical fitness routine. For those that use it as a spiritual means or as part of a spiritual practice, it would definitely be considered a ritual. The space you practice in could be ritual in nature as well. Yet again not if it looks like a fancy gym for those classes that focus on the physical fitness aspect. For places that use it in a spiritual sense the way they decorate, or the music they could pick would give a ritual feel. For example, the Hindu Temple that I spoke about going to in one of my previous journal entries. 
The physical culture of yoga is very much alive. Especially here in the U.S., It has been turned into a way to make money more than anything. That can easily be seen in the multitude of clothing brands that focus solely on yoga attire. The various props that you can buy that have become highly over priced. Also, the amount of videos and books that a person can buy is crazy. 
Throughout the semester we had a chance to try out various styles of yoga, as well as a meditation technique. I enjoyed getting to try each of them. Although if I had to pick I think that in class Iyengar was probably my favorite. The props were really helpful. Especially for me because I'm not very flexible. Overall though I would have to say my favorite was Yin Yoga. Which is the style that Stevee taught us in her class on Tuesday nights on campus at the Lodge. I liked that the most because it seemed to incorporate various poses from all the different styles that we had tried in class. I also liked that it is less strenouos than some of the other styles. For me, as a beginner, I think it made me feel more comfortable starting out with that style as opposed to say something like Bikram or Ashtanga. 
Yoga as a community is an easy thing to see. Everyone wants to feel as though they are a part of something. When it comes to yoga its the same. The large classes where everyone seems to know each other make it even easier to spot. When people develop a sense of community it makes them want to continue doing yoga so they can spend time with their community. 
We also talked about yoga as a medicine and as a treatment for addictions and mental illness. As an actual medicine that can treat an illness or cure a disease I just can't believe. Even though some of the texts we read this semester said that it was possible to cure all illnesses with yoga I don't beleive it. As far as using it as a treatment for addictions and mental illnesses I beleive it could be implemented. Not as a sole treatment though, and not in all cases. I believe it could be used as part of a balanced treatment program that incorporates other things such as medicines and therapy. 
The last thing that we tried was a meditation practice. I did find it interesting. Although, I have a hard time not fidgeting and get easily distracted. Meditation for me just didn't really seem like a relaxing thing. Mostly because I was too worried about trying to stay focused on the actual meditation. As far as using yoga as a form of meditation. I think this could be done. Especially if it's one of the various breath work practices. 
Overall, I think taking this class was really fun and informative. I think that yoga has many uses that range from spiritual to physical. I also think that it has become somewhat of an overly commercilized cash cow. At the end of the day though yoga is never going to be or mean the same thing for any two people, and as long as you go into it with an open mind and find the right teacher it can be an amazing experience.

Spiritual Practice

I believe yoga can be taught as a spiritual practice. I do not think that yoga means the same thing to any two people, and because of this, each individual person is going to take from it what they need. Also, it will be for each of those people something completely different. It could be a spiritual practice, or a strictly physical practice, or even a combination of both. In our specific class, we do not really touch too much on the spiritual aspect of yoga, or whether it is spiritual. Since our group is so diverse it would be hard to make our class a spiritually based class because it could possibly offend someone who is religious or has their own spiritual beliefs. The individual themselves can seek to find a spiritual nature in the class, but they would be doing so on their own. 

Pranayama & Practice

In my usual class, we do three different types of pranayama. The three that we do are kapalabhati, ujjayii, and surya bhedana. Most times we will do at least one of these breathwork practices at some point in the class. Although, I'm sure there may have been one or two times when we did not. We usually do not do it for very long. I feel that the purpose for us is first so that we can become familiar with it because many of us had never tried it before. Secondly, I feel that it is used as more of a calming tool and a means to help us focus and block out the various distractions in our practice area. Breathwork, in my opinion, is not the focus of our practice. I feel that if it was we would take part in it much more often and for longer periods of time. Perhaps if we had more time or were able to meet more often we could focus more closely on the breath work. As it is though I feel that Stevee tries to give us a balanced class that touches on the postures as well as the breath work so that we can experience everything. 

Breath Retention and Suspension

In this weeks practice Stevee had us focus on breathing and breath work more than we usually do. This actually worked out well because it was part of what we were discussing in class this week. Also, my allergies have been extremely bad so I was wondering how things like alternate nostril breathing would help with that. Surprisingly the alternate nostril breathing actually did help. It felt like it relieved some of the sinus pressure and I was having less trouble breathing through my nose. It's been over a day since the practice and I'm still having less pressure and an easier time breathing. I'm not sure about all the outrageous claims that breath work is supposed to give you, but I'm happy with being able to breathe semi-normally again. 

Vipassana Meditation

This weeks in class practice was a meditation practice. Marcello was very nice and had a very laid back attitude. He seemed very informed about not only meditation but the effects it has on an individual in the physical as well as mental aspects. I enjoyed his presentation showing the different slides of the brains and how long-term meditation can cause changes. As for the actual meditation we only got to do this for about twenty minutes. I got a little antsy towards the end, but I figured that would be the case. Had we done a full hour or so I probably would have had a lot more trouble sitting still and concentrating. Sitting still for prolonged periods is a problem I've had my whole life. I get fidgety so I never really gave meditation a thought because I didn't think I'd be able to fully invest myself into it. Although, maybe after a great deal of time and practice I could. I definitely felt sleepy afterward and having insomnia anything that can make me sleepy in that short of a time is something I'm interested in learning more about. 

Yoga as Meditation

In the class, I attend it is only one hour long, so we do not really have time to include a proper meditation into our practice. Although, Stevee does have us do I guess kind of a mini-meditation at the beginning. We will close our eyes and she tells us to focus on what we want to get from practice that day or what we went to accomplish. In a way, this is sort of similar to meditation, but because of time constraints, we can only do this for a short period. If we had a longer class I'm fairly sure that Stevee would definitely incorporate some type of meditation into the class. 

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Since there was not a prompt listed for this week I just decided to relate my out of class practice to what we have been talking about in class this past week. On the blog, it has what are called the 8 Limbs listed. The first is restraint. This encompasses things such as not lying or stealing. We do not ever really talk about these things during our class. Although, they seem to be basic things that every person should be restrained from, to begin with. The second is observance. This limb talks about things such as cleanliness and self-study, as well as other things. Of the things listed on the blog cleanliness is probably the one thing we do not touch on in class. Things like discipline and self-study we do touch on. Stevee has given out her email in order for us to contact her about a pamphlet that talks about the Tibetan 5 Rites so that we can practice them at home. She also talks to us about just practicing in general on our own. The third is posture or physical exercise. We do postures in every class, so this limb is the easiest to relate to my out of class practice. The fourth limb is breath control. Stevee does go over a few of the different breathing techniques with us. We usually do at least one of them in each practice. Number five is sublimation or withdraw from the senses. I don't really think this one relates too much to my class. At least not that I can think of. Number six is attention. This one we constantly have to use in my class. Due to the practice space, there are quite a few distractions, so Stevee is constantly telling us to pick a point in the room and focus on it and block everything else out. The seventh limb is concentration. Meditation or meditating on things isn't really something that we get to do much in our class. We don't have much time together so we usually spend most of it on postures or breath work. The final limb is meditation. As I said meditation isn't really a part of our weekly classes. Although Stevee does ask if any of us are taking a meditation class or meditating on our own, so we do talk about it we just don't really have the time needed to do that limb justice. 

Definition of Yoga

Within our practice space, I feel like yoga is defined as more than one thing. It is used as a spiritual means for some, but also as a physical means for others. Some of those present do their prayers on their mats before the class. Finishing just as Stevee comes in and usually meditating until she starts the class. Others thank Stevee at the end of class for being the "light that guides us". On the other hand, there are student athletes there that use the class as another part of their training. Something to help aid them in staying fit. There are also a few older people that attend and are not students. They come with Stevee for each class. I have only had a few chances to speak with them, and I'm sure their reasons for being in the class would be as varied as the students that are attending.
 The multitude of definitions can also be seen in the way that Stevee leads the class. She always asks about our health in regards to if anyone has gotten any injuries. She also asks if anyone is looking for a specific type of class that day regarding the types of postures she should have us do. Focusing on the physical aspects defining the class as a type of physical fitness class. However, she also chants "Om" and lowers the lights giving it a more ritualistic feel, as well as defining the class as more of a spiritual gathering than physical. 
Since I feel that there are multiple definitions, or rather the class is defined by the individual to meet their needs, that it can have connections outside the classroom. Those that use it as a spiritual time could also connect it with prayer and other things outside of the class. Those that see it as fitness could choose to do the postures at home on their own time incorporating them into a workout routine they do.
I do not think that yoga will be defined in the same way by any two people. People come to yoga in different ways and for different reasons. Due to that their definition of yoga, and even their definition of the postures as well as other things, are all going to be different. 

Yoga: Addiction and Mental Health

Yoga used in regards to addiction and mental health could be beneficial, but at the same time, I feel like it would depend on the context in which it is being used. As a singular treatment, I do not think that it would be effective for addiction or mental health. Using yoga as part of a treatment regimen would be a better use. 
For addiction, I feel that yoga would be useful for giving an addict a way to focus. Many times an addict has lost friends and family, and even their jobs. They have a lot of free time due to this when they decide to get clean. Having yoga would give them something to do that is not meetings that would help keep them busy and keep their minds occupied. Another thing it could help with is giving addicts a new crowd to hang with, so to speak. One of the key things they talk about in addiction counseling is people and places. Attending a yoga class would give the addict a new place and new people that have nothing to do with their addiction. On the other hand, having an addictive personality could mean that yoga could become another addiction, or possibly be used as a crutch.
For mental health, I believe that yoga could be beneficial depending on the type of mental illness. Mental illnesses that manifest physically as well as mentally could prohibit the individual from being able to do many of the postures in a safe manner. Therefore, it could cause physical trauma to the individual. Also, those with certain mental illnesses that affect the individual's ability to learn new things could also pose a safety risk if they aren't able to understand the directions being given to them. On the other hand, for those with mental illnesses such as bipolar or manic depression yoga could be a good thing to add to their treatment regimens. It would give them a means of connecting with others in a safe or non-judgemental environment. It would also give them something to focus on that is positive. 

Sivananda Yoga

This weeks in class practice was with Jenn and she showed us Sivananda Yoga. I really enjoyed her class. She was very down to earth, and she showed a genuine love of the style of yoga she was teaching. Personally, I do not think this style would work for me. Having shoulder damage makes it a little hard for me to perform the head and should stands that this style entails. Although, I did really like the little speech thing that she says during the beginning of the class while we were relaxing. It gave the class a very comfortable and calming aspect right from the start. I also liked the fact that she went around and helped individuals while trying to do the head and shoulder stands, as well as going around and correcting peoples postures for other postures. It made it much more personal, in my opinion, than say a Bikram class where the teacher just sits or stands in the corner and directs the students. If it was not for the various head and shoulder stands that are involved I would probably place this style up at the top of my favorites list. 

Yoga as a Lifestyle & Culture

This week's prompt has to do with yoga being a lifestyle and culture. In my practice, Stevee tries to keep it very much to the traditional Yin Yoga, and not any of the crazy stuff that yoga has branched off into. Although, it is easy to see the trend toward "pop culture". Anyone that has a Facebook can see various videos of all types of different variations of yoga that have been invented. Things like goat yoga, wine yoga, and the most recent one I saw (that I'm still hoping was a joke or parody) chicken nugget yoga. None of the items listed have anything to do with traditional yoga but instead, have been incorporated into the classes to bring in more people and more money. Another thing that can be found is the incorporation of things like hip-hop into yoga classes or any other forms of music that wouldn't be considered traditional. This combined with the highly sexualized yoga clothing screams pop culture and is meant to pull in the younger crowds. In the classes I go to on Tuesday night they are mostly young people, and many of them do wear the high priced yoga gear and have fancy mats that look like they most likely cost a decent amount of money. On the other hand, when I attended the class at the Hindu temple this was predominantly older people and a lot of them just wore sweats and tees, so this does point out a vast contrast in the way the different age groups perceive the yoga lifestyle. 

Yoga as Healing (medicine)

Yoga obviously would not be considered a traditional medicine, like antibiotics or ibuprofen, in our culture. Although, that does not mean that it has no medical benefits. At the beginning of each class, Stevee asks us if we have sustained any injuries throughout the week, or if we are having any other problems. Maybe back pain or stress or headaches. A lot of times most people just say no, but every now and then someone will say yes and explain the problem, or ailment. Stevee then tailors the nights class in a manner that will best help with the problem. 
For me personally, I have noticed that since starting the weekly classes my shoulder does not bother me as much, or I guess it isn't as sore as usual would be a better way to put it. I injured it a few years back but my insurance would not cover the physical therapy for it, so it has bothered me ever since. This was not an overnight thing though. Actually, in the beginning, it was more sore than usual, but that was most likely due to the fact that I tend to not use that arm as much because it will start to bother me. Over the past two months though I have noticed a change in the level of soreness and I have actually started using it more than I use to. 
I guess in a way yoga can be used for medicinal purposes. Things like physical therapy or something similar. Honestly, I don't really see many other purposes for a medicine type use despite all the healing stories I have read. 

Ashtanga Yoga

This week in class practice was Ashtanga Yoga. Our instructor's name is Loren Russo. She was really nice and extremely knowledgeable about what she does. Ashtanga seemed to be much more high impact than the other styles I have tried so far. Well with the exception of Bikram of course. I am not very flexible so I found this style to probably be the hardest for me personally. Especially the binding parts because it felt like my arms were just way to short to accomplish what she was demonstrating for us. Getting to see the headstands and some of the other poses that require a very high amount of flexibility was pretty amazing. It was completley different to see someone do them in front of you as opposed to seeing someone do them in a picture or on screen. 
As far as the prompt for this week, yoga practice as community, I feel like having a single class doesn't really allow for a sense of community. Although, the class overall does have a sense of community, or perhaps camaraderie is a better word. Most of us have no idea what we are doing, so that kind of helps us to bond together because we are all falling over and thinking we look stupid together. 

Yoga Practice as Community

The group of people that come to the Tuesday night yoga class at The Lodge is pretty consistent. Occasionally it does fluctuate, and a new face or two may show up or a face may disappear for the week but that does not happen often. I feel like because of this consistency it has allowed for us to have a sense of community. We talk about each others days and classes before and after class. We try to make sure the props are distributed so that everyone has what they need. I also think the fact that the large majority of the people attending are students gives a stronger sense of community as well because that is something that everyone has in common outside the realm of yoga. 
Stevee is also good at making the group feel like a whole as opposed to a bunch of individuals stuck in a room together. She tells us stories about her yoga experiences and also asks us to share if we are comfortable doing so. She asks about our weeks and if we have anything special we would like to do in class that day. 
Overall the atmosphere actually puts me in a better mood when I leave. Especially if I have been having a bad day. Most of these people I only see that one time during the week, but I talk with them in a friendly manner more so than the way I would with an acquaintance. 

Practice as Ritual

This weeks practice was with Stevee at the Lodge again. The space itself does not make for much in the way of ritual in regards to the actual space. Although, you could find ritual in the structuring of the class, the use of the postures (i.e. the order in which they are done), and in the use of various props.Stevee always starts the class with the chanting of Om three times. We then proceed into the set of postures that she has gotten ready for the night. We always end class in a similar manner. We do heart bridge, or something similar, and then the corpse posture. The last thing we do is chant Om one time. In the manner with which Stevee structures her class, the props we use, and the order with which we do the postures, a basis of ritual can be found. It may not be "ritual" in the way most people would see it, but by definition is "a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order" (Webster's Dictionary). Based on that definition I would say there is an obvious ritual feel to the classes regardless of where they are being held. 

Iyengar Yoga

Our in class practice this week was Iyengar yoga. The teacher was Annie Stiver. I enjoyed Annie's class very much. Her personality was very calming and she had a very encouraging manner about her. Getting to use some of the props that I haven't previously had a chance to use yet was also interesting. Some of the poses I was familiar with already from classes with Stevee, so that made things a little easier. Still not so great at the balancing thing, but I'm sure if I decide to stick with this after the semester has ended that will eventually become easier. 
As for this weeks prompt, practice as ritual, it was a little hard to visualize anything as "ritual" in a classroom like our practice was. I guess the best I would be able to say in this regard is the use of the props and the way in which Annie presented everything to us was in a ritual manner. Perhaps a better way to put it would be the way in which Annie structured her class gave it a ritual feel. 

Bikram Yoga

Today in class we did a Bikram yoga practice. Honestly, I really thought I was going to fall and hurt myself or whoever was next to me. Once we got started though it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Although, had it been in an actual studio with the 105°temperatures I'm sure it would not have gone as well. The biggest difference I noticed between this class and the one I normally go to on Tuesday nights was that the teacher did not participate with us. Stevee usually does the poses with us and demonstrates them first. Kris did not demonstrate or participate, which I was told later on is actually standard for a Bikram class. I am not really sure how I felt about that, but Kris himself was a very nice man. He described the poses in sufficient enough detail that I feel like most of us were able to figure out what he wanted. In regards to the physical culture prompt for this week, I did hear a little of that. He kept saying that the postures were good for our digestive systems and how specific postures were good for different kinds of pain in different parts of the body. At the end of the class he even told us about how he first got introduced to Bikram, and about how it helped out with all the pain he had after the first class he attended. Honestly, I am not sure that Bikram is for me. I have shit balance and kept feeling like I was constantly going to topple over. Although, I would definitely like to at least try it in a studio with the heat at least once. 

Yoga as Physical Culture

Physical culture, or empowerment, is very alive within the yoga community based on what I've read and viewed. It makes claims about helping with your health and making your life better overall. We watched a web series called Namaste Bitches and the physical culture was glaringly represented, as well as the over-commercialization. This week I went to the Lodge, and thankfully Stevee is not at all like this. When she was giving us some background on the postures she was getting ready to show us how to do she told us that some teachers say the postures help with wrinkles and will reverse gray hair, among other things. After telling us that she kind of laughed a bit and was like I don't believe any of that. This is one of the reasons that I like going to Stevee's classes. She doesn't make any of the ridiculous claims, and she also demonstrates a secondary way to do the posture (usually including the block) to help if you are having trouble with it the normal way. The question was posed, "Why not run, or do zumba?", well, I feel like for awhile zumba was the big craze. Dance away those extra pounds, lose that extra weight in a fun way, blah blah blah. As for the actual physical culture of it, I can't presume to have much knowledge of. At the height maybe there was some to an extent, but I don't think that it would be like yoga for one reason. Zumba has no roots in a religious or spiritual history nor does running. Yoga, on the other hand, does. Its common place for miracles to go hand and hand with religious or spiritual happenings, so for yoga it makes sense that if you do these specific postures it is going to make you stay younger longer. 

The Studio as Ritual Space (Part 2)

I know I did one post for this week, but I felt like this prompt deserved a little more attention. In order to do that I got up early Saturday morning and went over to Vaikunth Hindu Jain Temple. The teacher is Stevee. The same woman who runs the class on Tuesday nights at the Lodge. That made me feel a little more comfortable since I already know somewhat what I was walking into. 
This space had a much more ritual feel to it. I mean it is in a temple after all. We entered through the front of the temple, and then through a very large open area that led to a set of steps. We did pass by the area that looked like religious services were held, but I wasn't sure of the etiquette so I didn't want to just wander over and take a look. From what I could see through the open door though it was a beautiful space. 
The area used for the class is up a set of steps. The room itself was on the larger side, but not altogether huge, and had the leftover smell of previously burnt incense. There were strings of pennants hanging on each of the longer walls. A small table with a picture of what I can only assume was, or is, a guru. There were a few other items on the table, so perhaps it was meant to be a tiny altar of some sort.The one long wall had multiple windows, which was the only light we used during the class. The floor was carpeted in a neutral earth tone, and the walls were white. The walls had many pictures hanging, and from what I saw the pictures were mostly of nature scenes like flowers. In the window sills were vases filled with plastic flowers. On the wall across from where the small table was sitting was a painted (or possible decal) symbol of some kind. Also, there were a few dishes that were obviously for the burning of incense. There were a few out of place items, and you could tell that the temple was using some of the space for storage, but it honestly wasn't a very big issue since the rest of the room was decorated. 
There was a much better atmosphere, at least to me, in this room than there is in the Lodge. There was the loud ticking of a clock that I thought would end up driving me crazy, but it ended up being quite the opposite. It ended up having almost a white noise effect which was rather relaxing. The people in attendance also made a difference I think. They were all older women, and a few men, as opposed to all young students. These folks actually did the loud breathing and participated in the chanting. The students don't usually do any of that. I guess they feel like maybe they'll sound stupid, but either way, it made a big difference in the overall atmosphere of the class. 
All in all, I enjoyed the class at the temple and would like to definitely go back again. I'd also like to try a few other places/teachers as the semester goes on. 

The Studio as Ritual Space

This week I went to Stevee's class at the Lodge again. It's really hard to equate the Lodge with "sacred space", but I guess you have to work with what you get. Honestly, it might say something about how yoga is seen in our culture by the way that it's relegated to a random room that doesn't even have full privacy. Stevee does her best to make the space a more relaxing environment. She dims the lights, and does encourage all those in attendance to move closer to the front, or rather the area where she has set up her mat. Much of the atmosphere that is created can be credited soley to her, and the manner with which she uses her voice. Unfortuntely, it really does end with that. The kitchen workers don't shut the slide down window all the way so they can at any point just look through and stare at the individuals in the class. They also play music and have conversations very loudly. This does make it quite hard to consentrate, clear your mind, and remain in the moment. Yet again, you work with what you have I guess. Decorations wise there's not much to work with either. With the exception of mats, blocks, etc. which can't actually be considered decorations there is nothing within the room that would even hint at a yoga studio. Obviously this is because its a borrowed, or better yet a shared space. Due to that fact it would make it quite hard to decorate and give the room a more spiritual and ritualistic feel to it. Even with all these problems I do try my best to ignore the distractions from the other room. I've found this is done best for me by just focusing on my breathing and Stevee's voice, and then kind of zoning into those two things for the duration of the class. 

Starting My Practice

I probably should have read the fine print when I signed up for this class...but here we are. Hopefully, I make it through this semester without causing bodily injury to myself or others (fingers crossed). 
I attended my first yoga class ever on Tuesday. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect since I had nothing to base it off of other than what you see in the media. I attended the class at the Lakeside Lodge on Stockton's Campus. I've been in the Lodge before but never for an actual event, so this was a first. Everyone that attended just kind of picked a spot at random. I chose a spot in the back for two reasons. One, so no one could see how stupid I look if I fell over, and two so that my note taking wouldn't be a distraction to any of the other people that were there. The Lodge itself really wasn't the best place in my opinion, but on-campus options are limited. It felt a little too big to me, especially after watching Enlighten Up!, because, for the most part, all the studios seemed to be on the smaller side making it more intimate. The people there were predominantly female, and all students. They were friendly and even helpful. The one girl explained what to expect from this class, and how it differed from the Thursday one in case I wanted to try that one as well. 
I was actually surprised that I was able to do all the postures that the instructor had us do with little to no trouble. Although, it did seem to be low impact to me. Mostly breathing techniques and a few postures. Perhaps that will change in future classes. 
The instructor's name is Stevee. She was using the Yin style of yoga, and she spent some time teaching us the breathing technique pranayama. She's been teaching for about 30 years, give or take. She trained in Philadelphia, the Yoga Research Society, as well as a few other places.