Week 6

This week I went to Yoga 9 in Ventnor, NJ on Friday.  Before class I was feeling physically exhausted and fatigued.  This time of year I always struggle to feel energized. The combination of allergies, fluctuation in temperature, and loss of daylight are a recipe for making feel under the weather. On this particular day I was just ready to relax. It was a rainy and I had just got done my last class before the weekend.  But I hadn't gone to a class yet this week and the 10:30 am class at Yoga 9 was my last chance.

The ocean air filled the air filled my lungs as I dragged my mat and towel from my car to the studio.  I entered the side door where Annie (who I had met at Stockton when she presented) greeted me with a smile.  I had arrived right on time and I was going to be the only student.  After filling out the waiver and setting up my mat, Annie began the practice. This particular practice was Gentle Yoga which I had no problem with that day.

It was very intimate getting a personal lesson but I had to try extra hard to focus because I thought the instructor was super cute and my hormones were kicking in.  Breathe Jon. This is a yoga session, not a hot date.  Okay I was back.

Soon into the practice I began to feel the weight of the past week fall into my mat.  I definitely felt like Annie was helping to heal my body and mind.  Annie's soft and soothing voice made me feel like she cared about my well-being and that I could just let everything go.  As opposed to relaxation which is a state of mind, healing has much more tangible benefits.  I would say that this practice was healing because soon into the practice the fatigue I felt and creaky joints from the weather began to go away.  I was feeling energized and alert.

After the practice I chatted with Annie for a few minutes before heading home.  The gentle yoga really helped with healing.

 

Week 4

This week at my practice at Grow Yoga I paid special attention to the sense of community of the studio. Ever since joining the fair-trade at Grow Yoga working at the front desk I have really admired the strong sense of community here.  Although I don't necessarily feel apart of the community yet, this is more because I take a while to warm up to people.  However, many of the other people are very friendly and know each other by name and hug when greeting.  It is a very warm and vibrant place.  I believe this sense of community is important for a yoga studio in particular because yoga is a time of introspection and vulnerability.  In general, I think yoga classes all have a sense of community because even if each student is going through different life challenges, at the time of practice all of that is forgotten temporarily and they are all just practicing yoga together and being mindful of movements and the immediate experience.