Functional movement is the integration of stability, mobility and flexibility to support natural movement patterns and adapt to the physical demands of daily life. This approach takes into account individual differences, including skeletal variation and medical history. It's not just about being strong but being able to feel good and move well on and off the mat.
Any posture can be “advanced” if it facilitates connecting to presence, awareness, and love. Explore movement with a sense of curiosity and compassion to use the weights of the body. Spiraling allows for smooth transitions and avoids straining the connectors in the body.
We look forward to our 3rd Art and Yoga Retreat: Heart of Wonder at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. June 15, 2024 will be a day filled with a creative playfulness, exploration, and connection. Experiences of awe and wonder reduce activation of our sympathetic nervous system, increase vagal nerve tone, and reduce inflammation and physical stress in our bodies.
There exists a subtle yet profound connection between the mind and the breath. Choosing to breathe consciously, transforms our practice into an embrace of clarity. Yoga practice becomes more than moving with intention. Noticing the breath funnels activities of the mind into an effortless one pointed focus. With each breath, we surrender deeper into our practice, letting go of distractions and attachments, and embracing the fullness of our being.
Yoga in the NC Botanical Garden, resumes April 4, 2024 for 11 weeks. Spring offers us a unique opportunity to observe the ever-changing quality of nature (called anicca in Buddhism). While practice yoga in nature this spring we can witness the changes in phrenology of the trees changes and the emergence of perennials. This provides an opportunity to witness anicca in ourselves. Each time we arrive to the mat, we are anew.
Functional movement is the integration of stability, mobility and flexibility to support natural movement patterns and adapt to the physical demands of daily life. This approach takes into account individual differences, including skeletal variation and medical history. It's not just about being strong but being able to feel good and move well on and off the mat.
We look forward to our 3rd Art and Yoga Retreat: Heart of Wonder at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. June 15, 2024 will be a day filled with a creative playfulness, exploration, and connection. Experiences of awe and wonder reduce activation of our sympathetic nervous system, increase vagal nerve tone, and reduce inflammation and physical stress in our bodies.
There exists a subtle yet profound connection between the mind and the breath. Choosing to breathe consciously, transforms our practice into an embrace of clarity. Yoga practice becomes more than moving with intention. Noticing the breath funnels activities of the mind into an effortless one pointed focus. With each breath, we surrender deeper into our practice, letting go of distractions and attachments, and embracing the fullness of our being.
The way we breathe and the specific patterns we adopt can have significant effects on our wellbeing and nervous system. Yoga and pranayama cultivates mindful breathing. Breathing practices can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the "rest and digest" system. Yoga can help train ourselves to pay attention to the sensations of the breath and allow us to choose how we breathe.
Happy Spring and blessed Equinox. This moment of Spring that we are in is not a sudden occurrence, but is rather a continuum of the rhythm of the natural world. In other words, this moment is part of a spiralic, dynamic process. This moment is not a sudden, isolated occurrence, but rather a continuation of all other moments, breaths, and (inter)actions. Our asana practice provides us a wonderful container to notice, observe, and experience our own process. It is in moments of observing attachments or aversion that we createspace to be free of these kleshas.
Yoga in the NC Botanical Garden, resumes April 4, 2024 for 11 weeks. Spring offers us a unique opportunity to observe the ever-changing quality of nature (called anicca in Buddhism). While practice yoga in nature this spring we can witness the changes in phrenology of the trees changes and the emergence of perennials. This provides an opportunity to witness anicca in ourselves. Each time we arrive to the mat, we are anew.
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras outline 8 stages for the practice of Yoga, the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The later stages describe how to cultivate a practice of meditation. Meditation offers an opportunity to integrate your experience and notice what is in your Awareness. It is a journey of training the mind to stay present and focused. Identifying where you are in the meditation continuum of practice (Dharna, Dhyana or Samadhi) allows you to find greater awareness.
The Panchamaya Kosha system consists of five interconnected layers of our being from the density of the physical body, to the expansive spiritual or bliss body. The koshas share a dynamic relationship and influence each other. As we deepen our awareness and understanding of each kosha, we move towards greater health and wellbeing through integration and alignment with our true nature.
Even if you don’t notice it or feel it, every time you step on the mat and move your body, you support balancing your inner and outer experience. Yoga practices give an opportunity for Qi (Chi, life force) to flow more freely through the meridians (rivers of energy). You might not be able to see Qi flowing through meridians, however you can experience the effect of your energy. Free flowing Qi allows the energy nourishes our body and improves the health of our organs so we can experience the vitality of life.
