#Repost Thank you @susannabarkataki ・・・
Yoga, at its heart, is a radical practice.
Yoga is not now, nor has it ever been, a practice aimed at physical mastery for its own sake.
I wrote this because my teachers in India taught me that, like them, early yogis were practicing on the fringes of society.
Both literally and figuratively.
Under trees, in caves, by rivers and streams.
They looked around at all the advancements organized city life had brought them some 2,500+ years ago (and Indian civilization was advanced so it was quite a lot even then)
But they weren't content with mere sense pleasures and the delights and ease of the world.
So they sought a kind of freedom beyond the confines of what society and its norms had to offer.
And today, we do this wild reformulation of yoga = physical prowess + body worship
We get it so twisted.
Or we utilize yoga and mindfulness to create passive worker-enhanced productivity in the illusory game of big business.
Or when students' silence is called noble but is really mindfully-manufactured compliance.
We're simply contributing to the yoga-mindfulness-industrial-complex.
Let's not forget that yoga is counter culture. Both then and now.
It's aims were nothing short of total personal and social transformation.
What are you doing to get to the radical - as in the root(s) - of your practice?
Stress affects us in a variety of ways: physical, energetic, emotional, and mental. Recognizing the mind/body connection in relation to stress helps to shift our response to challenging situations and increases our overall sense of well-being. 🌸Yoga therapy reduces the stress response, supports sleep hygiene, and improves physical function. 🌸Mindfulness meditation enhances mental focus and encourages a positive perspective.
Starting this Thursday, I’m leading a new series that combines gentle movement, breathwork, and meditation to enhance the mind/body connection and reduce the impact of stress.
June 6, June 20, July 11 🌸 12-12:45pm 🌸 $50 for the series | $18 to drop-in
