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Guidelines for Taking My Flow Yoga in Motion Class
by Bob Vaccaro RYT (Ocean Spirit Yoga 603-766-0979 or Home 603-430-4013)
Treat the Class as Your Personal Time My class provides you a carefully sequenced and timed flow of postures for you to explore co-create, and befriend. This means working each posture where it feels good to you and for as long as it feels good to you. Come out of any posture early and stay out for as long as you need to rest. Listen to your muscles. In time you will know when your muscles are happy to work and to be stretched, and when they are not. Whenever your muscles are not happy, keep co-creating and modifying the posture until they are. If the ‘platform’, the position in which the posture begins, is not easily accessible to you, either modify the platform or skip that posture and learn substitute postures that you can access easily.
Breathe Slowly, Evenly, and Deeply Breathe in and out through your nose whenever possible. In addition, by constricting the back of your throat, churn the air on both the inhales and exhales making the ‘ocean’ sound only you need to hear. When inhaling, fill your belly first. Then fill your chest or simply take air in as long as you can. Also exhale slowly, and when exhaling gently tighten your pelvic floor and pull your belly in, only to slowly release these ‘energy locks’ during the inhales.
Keep Your Eyes Closed When You Can This will strengthen your internal focus and will become easier as you trust your interpretation of my verbal cues. Open your eyes when you want to confirm what I am saying. And when your balance feels precarious, gaze steadily and softly at a focal point in front of you.
Make the Circular Movements Work for You The small movements, mostly circular rotations, serve three purposes. First, they work the muscles creating them and raise your heart rate, adding to the aerobic benefit of the class. Second, the movements help you spiral deeper into each posture slowly and safely. Third, the movements massage tension from your muscles which creates a pleasurable sensation.
Meditate on Physical Sensations Some 80% of the value of the class derives from focusing your mind's attention on the physical sensations of muscles working and stretching and of breathing. As soon as you notice a thought taking you away from these sensations, accept the thought, then bring your attention back to physical sensations without a self-judging thought. Practice will increase the time between your thoughts.
Transform Pain into an Opportunity to Release Tension Sometimes, due to an injury or fear, a posture needs to be avoided. But most of the time when you encounter pain or strain in a posture, it is because you have gone into the posture too quickly. Back off on the posture or on the size of the rotations and work the posture at the doorstep of pain. Concentrate on the elements of breathing noted above and the physical sensations you are creating. Wait for an invitation from your muscles to go take on more posture. Where there was pain or strain, there will now be an opportunity for tension to release, an enjoyable sensation.
Trust Your Body, Mind, and Spirit Will Benefit from Regular Practice In each class you can expect a total body workout in which your legs, arms, neck, abdominal and other core muscles will all be worked and stretched somewhat evenly. My intention is for you to work and release tension from every muscle group, vitalize every organ, and tone every cell in your body. As this happens in your body, anxieties and confusions will leave your mind, and your capacity to accept yourself and serve others will grow. The more you practice the more connected you will feel to the moment, your inner spirit, and all beings! (5/07)
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