The other day it occured to me that taking some Yoga classes would be very beneficial to me as all of the bike riding is very constricting to my muscles and I thought that some good yoga stretching would help me to feel so much better. So on Tuesday I went to the local Yoga studio, Village Yoga, which I have gone to before but it has been a while. It was a gentle class which was wonderful for getting a good stretch. I felt fabulous after the class and was so happy I made the time for myself. This morning I went to another gentle class and again enjoyed it immensely and more importantly I became aware of why I like Yoga so much.
When I first sit and relax while waiting for the class to start I begin to quiet down, my mind and my body, and I begin to relax and actually take mindful breathes. What a difference it makes when I actually breath all the way into my torso instead of the very shallow chest breathing I am inclined to do. Not only does it feel good but it is good for me as well!
I love becoming mindful of my body, when I am asked to shift my weight from one side to the next I am in awe of how different I feel on the two sides. I become aware of which muscles I am engaging and which muscles I am not engaging until the instructor reminds us, for instance when doing a forward bend and to then engage the stomach muscles or when doing a balancing pose to engage the stomach and the back as well. So much of the time I am not mindful of how my body feels, I tend to reside in my head and often forget about my body - well unless there is a pain that is calling my attention!
During the yoga class today I found myself feeling such gratitude for my body being so strong and flexible and that when I am doing certain poses, like warrior, I feel grounded and solid too. I felt the gratitude wash over me today and although I am not completely thrilled with my body today, I was able to love my body as it is. What a gift this yoga class is to help me get more in touch with my body and to allow me to feel the gratitude and joy of this amazing gift of the my body.
So I just want to remind you that yoga is a wonderful gift we give ourselves so please take some time this week (or today) and allow yourself to enjoy your miraculous body.
When I first sit and relax while waiting for the class to start I begin to quiet down, my mind and my body, and I begin to relax and actually take mindful breathes. What a difference it makes when I actually breath all the way into my torso instead of the very shallow chest breathing I am inclined to do. Not only does it feel good but it is good for me as well!
I love becoming mindful of my body, when I am asked to shift my weight from one side to the next I am in awe of how different I feel on the two sides. I become aware of which muscles I am engaging and which muscles I am not engaging until the instructor reminds us, for instance when doing a forward bend and to then engage the stomach muscles or when doing a balancing pose to engage the stomach and the back as well. So much of the time I am not mindful of how my body feels, I tend to reside in my head and often forget about my body - well unless there is a pain that is calling my attention!
During the yoga class today I found myself feeling such gratitude for my body being so strong and flexible and that when I am doing certain poses, like warrior, I feel grounded and solid too. I felt the gratitude wash over me today and although I am not completely thrilled with my body today, I was able to love my body as it is. What a gift this yoga class is to help me get more in touch with my body and to allow me to feel the gratitude and joy of this amazing gift of the my body.
So I just want to remind you that yoga is a wonderful gift we give ourselves so please take some time this week (or today) and allow yourself to enjoy your miraculous body.