This Moment To Be Free

We live in a culture that does not value rest, so people do not rest enough. I am not sure that we even really know how to rest. We know how to pause and we know how to check-out. We subscribe to the American work-hard and play-hard ethic – even in our power yoga classes.

I am an Integral Yoga teacher who gives a bi-weekly deep relaxation (yoga nidra) class and I have also been assisting in the restorative yoga class in addition to teaching a regular weekly hatha 1 class. I feel pretty connected to the “tha” part of hatha yoga – the yin, moon, passive, resting – the traditionally female. I teach the importance and equal value of the resting and meditative poses to my students. Yet, when I listen to my body and just truly rest, even I sometimes feel guilty that I “should be doing something” — as if restoring one’s energy is not doing something vital.

My intention in studying therapeutic yoga is to learn more deeply about the value of restorative practice – of Body’s structure and need for rest and support – and to become more adept in supporting others in their restorative practice. I would like to more deeply know and be an advocate for Body, for rest, for regeneration and restoration – I would like to practice loving kindness with my own body and learn how to give yoga as a restorative, therapeutic, healing tool in service to others who need it.

I would like to be a voice in support of Body in a body-conscious but often not body-loving or body-accepting world. These are my intentions and interests going in to the experience – I am sure these will expand and I will be inspired in ways of which I am not yet aware! My first student, and client is myself!

om shanti, om peace!