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.