Are there day to day experiences that you hold sacred? And if so, why are they so special? Yesterday, I dove into my local swimming pool with vigor and zest. I have a hard time explaining what it is about swimming that is so fantastic. It is high on my list of sacred experiences, just like yoga. Both physical activities are refreshing, calming and invigorating all at the same time. There is a certain amount of technique and biomechanics to each that requires me to think gently. Breathing is essential to both, particularly the timing of each breath. I find myself extremely introverted with each but yet still aware of my surroundings. And both are literally in my bones, for a lack of better words. I've been doing both for over two-thirds of my life. I admit, swimming and yoga can easily bump out most any other activities in my life with the exception of other flow experiences such as being with friends and family (combined together with these physical activities, even better!), enjoying a healthy meal that is tantalizing my taste buds, sleeping in warm flannel sheets, and reading an interesting book. It has become apparent that swimming and yoga are two of my flow experiences. If you are not familiar with the term flow, read on... Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is the "father of flow" and the "optimal experience". I've read two of his books, Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience and Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. And highly recommend both.
I believe that finding flow in your life is SO important. And I believe it or not, I didn't mention work on my list of flow activities. It was purposely done. I wanted to separate it from the rest. As one day I hope to add "Yoga Teacher" to my resume. It will fit perfectly with my current job because I DO experience flow at work and am very grateful for that! Finding flow in yoga and life, LW
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The physical practice of breath control has been part of my world since 1988. This is when I started synchronized swimming which was encouraged by my mom. As you can imagine, this sport focuses on breathing (or lack there of) in its training. I spent many sessions in the pool underwater (and at times up side down) perfecting my breath control. At my top fitness, I would swim 50 meters underwater (two lengths of the pool) without coming up for a breath! At the time, I don't think I thought much about it, only that for me to be the best swimmer I could be, I needed good breath control. Fast forward many years, to current day, and I still forget how powerful the breath is. Oh how we forget something that is automatic in our bodies! This week was a complete write off for a physical asana practice. I won't bore you with the details but needless to say I didn't get a chance to even try. I did however work on my breath to ground me and make me feel like I did something this week! Yogic breathing variations, as with types of yoga, is a lengthy list that you just can't cover in a post nor in a session. I have been fortunate to attend multiple classes (with different teachers) where breath work was the focus . I will save that commentary for another day and just highlight what breathing model was best fit for me this week. I really needed to focus on relaxation and calm this week and thus, worked on a balanced breath. If you are not familiar, it ensures your inhalation is the same duration as your exhalation. For example, I would inhale for the count of five then match my exhale to the count of five. I quite enjoy expanding my breath and work towards a count of nine for each the inhale and exhale. I also find it very refreshing to think nourishment on the inhale (prana) and disposal of waste on the exhale (apana). Try it! Notice what the balance breath can do? New air in and old air out. I would be remiss if I didn't mention I also surprised myself this week while reading a new book, Inspire Me Well. Unbenounced to me, the chapter I was to read next had an extensive part on yoga. I have to share this quote from a local yoga teacher (who's classes I've attended before in the past) where it highlights using your breath to your advantage: Notice what your body is feeling, notice where your mind wants to go. In yoga, like life, you find yourself in positions you do not want to be in - you witness them but never get too involved. Breathe through it, and you will be surprised to find your strengths. Breath in, breath out. LW Photo credit: eltpics
This past weekend, I attended a conference, Alberta CSEP Perspectives in Exercise, Health and Fitness Conference, specifically for my exercise physiologist designation (CSEP-CEP). We discussed professionalism, becoming a licensed healthcare profession, and how the accreditation currently is the gold standard for qualified exercise professionals...among other things! I started to think about "what is the gold standard for yoga certification?" The most common thing I've heard about yoga certification is that it is based on hours. From what I know, most certifications are either 200 or 500 hours. I'm unsure what the difference is other than the obvious time dedicated to becoming certified. Can anyone pipe in on this? The other outstanding part of becoming certified, is who do I certify with? Honestly, I'm a big supporter of quality education particularly because your knowledge translates into how well you can instruct others and quiet frankly, keep the public safe. The most obvious way to become certified is to look at the type of yoga I want to teach and then explore who is best suited to provide this education. It seems that most types of yoga have commonalities such as poses or asanas but there are also clear distinctions. The different types of yoga instruction is beyond this post (I guarantee it will be a post one day...it's on my checklist to find out about all forms of yoga!) but needless to say, knowing the difference is key to certification. What I know now is.... The following organizations and/or business in Alberta and Edmonton offer some form of certification: Yoga Association of Alberta Mount Royal College Lotus Soul Gym Lions Breath Yogalife Yoga for Today AFLCA - Mind/Body designation There is also the Yoga Alliance of North America which might be an international certification. As well as YogaFit, the fitness focused certification. If I were to harbor a guess, my path to yoga teaching would start with a Hatha 200 hour certification then on to the 500 hour course. I'm very interested in the yoga therapy program at Mount Royal College as I it would complement my current work as an exercise physiologist. That's what I think for now... If you know more, please send me your thoughts and expert opinions! Comments below are most welcomed!!! I've got more research to do to find the gold standard! I'll keep you posted on what I find. LW |
Aspiring Yoga TeacherI've practiced yoga since I was a pre-teen and have always found it to keep me centered. I will be a teacher one day and this is my journey to discover teaching and practice. Archives
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