Week 287: Open Your Heart

Can you think of anything better than to be greeted at a workshop with a hug?!

I walked into my most recent Yoga Association of Alberta workshop to be straight away embraced by the facilitator/senior teacher. How lovely was that!

We dove deep into the philosophy of yoga this session. This is where my ears perk up and I am all in. I need to be on my game, especially with the sanskrit words and their meanings. Although I am comprehending much more than when I start my teacher training, I still need laser focus on the words (and spelling!) and how to weave them into my understanding of yoga. The key pieces this time around include:

1. Right off the hop - The Gayatri Mantra…

This mantra, when recited, bestows wisdom and enlightenment, through the vehicle of the Sun (Savitr), who represents the source and inspiration of the universe. What a fitting way to start a practice. We repeated the mantra over and over while adding a line at a time. I really needed the time to process how to say the words, and let’s be honest, feeling comfortable chatting in the group. It is still something very new to me and I am not really at ease with it. Not that I don’t think it is beautiful, because I do, yet I just lack confidence in the process. Chatting a mantra reminds of a singing which over time I think will give me ease.

2. Pratyahara

In my notebook, I had to write this word out three times before I got the spelling right! Pratyahara is the fifth limb of yoga with the focus on quieting the mind. I loved the analogy of a tortoise, an animal who can remove the external and just be inside. How can I be more like a tortoise and restrain my senses? Likely through my yoga practice. I would argue that my time on the mat usually requires a lot of focus, especially on the breath. When I work on my inhale for eight counts, two second retention and eight count exhalation, I am within myself. The second I fall off my breathing, then I start hearing all the noises in the room or the people around me. This might be why I like to close my eyes for a majority of my practice. It shuts out all possible visual cues.

3. Anahata Chakra

The heart chakra, Anahata, is the most central chakra in the body; it is thought to link the bottom three chakras (earth, water, fire) to the top three chakras. Interestingly enough, the element of Anahata Chakra is air which stokes the fire in the Manipura Chakra below.

Connecting the dots!

The Chakras have been very intriguing to me of late. With reading, Caroline Myss’ book, Anatomy of Spirit, I have had a greater understating of the Chakras. After the workshop, I went straight to the book store and found a Chakra book. Bought it on the spot! As always, so much more to learn!

With all this philosophy talk, we did work through some chest openers such as cobra (Bhujangasana), spinx (Naraviralasana) and camel (Ustrasana) poses. How fitting for Anahata Chakra.

Continuing to open and make my yoga practice come from the heart,
LW