Sunday, September 29, 2013

Carrying emotions and stress

Often in yoga class or workshops I hear people talk about where women carry their stress and emotions.  Typically, when you find an area of your body tighter than normal, it is due to carrying too much stress.  Something you are dealing with right now, is affecting how deep you can go in your poses or asana.  Going back to the things I hear in classes and workshops, women keep their pent up frustrations in their hips, which may affect the back as well.  Much like that anatomy song goes, the back and the hips are connected.

I find this to be very true in my life.  In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that life has been extremely stressful lately.  Yesterday in bellydance class, right before practice, we were stretching and I found it difficult to stretch my quads.  So after class, I took a little extra time to try out Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (pigeon-which I have heard it called a few variations).  Sure enough, I had a hard time in this one as well.

Now that I have my home studio back together, I plan to work on some hip openers each evening to try to work some of this out.  Pigeon is a great hip opener, as well as Cresent Lunge (or High lunge), and Low Lunge ( though I will typically keep my hands down near my front leg for balance).  These are all great for tight quads, like what I am experiencing.  There are many others that you can try, that I might expand upon at a later time.

I hope some of this helps you out.

Namaste my friends,

Chess

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Update on the patent issue

This morning I woke up to a number of people posting about YogaAlliance creating a petition, urging for the patent to be withdrawn.  If you would like to sign the petition, and add your two cents or whatever you think your wisdom is worth, go to this link.

Please don't feel any pressure from me to do this.  It is purely up to you and I am just putting the information out there.

Love and light my friends,

Chess

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The talk about town- patents for yoga

Currently, a yoga company has made waves in the different yoga communities because they have applied for a patent for the way in which they teach yoga.   I little background might be helpful in this though.  This company is an online business that shoots yoga classes so you can watch and participate from your home, office, hotel room, etc.  I saw some advertisements a bit ago on the side of my Facebook feed and even looked into it.  I really prefer having hands on adjustments available, so I decided it wasn't right for me.

Recently, they sent out a cease and desist letter to Yoga International, a yoga company that does similar things, stating that they are infringing on the patent. Yoga International came out, telling the yoga community about the letter they received, and everything blew up.  Now news about this is all over.  I feel like the patent is not truly legal, as it is not a patent on a new style of yoga, but a way in which classes are taught.  I honestly feel like they did this just to get their name out there, hence why I haven't named the company that created the patent.

So, it all brings about the question of patenting our classes.  Is it even possible to do that?  My Vinyasa classes that I go to are all about the same.  Granted, there isn't much room in there, and the instructors have all had their ytt at this studio.  Even still, there are only so many ways an instructor can set up class so he or she can get to any students that need adjustments.  Also, the students tend to work together to make room for everyone, so it is not just how the instructor sets up class.

Maybe there is a difference between regular studios and the ones that are filmed for viewing online.  I just don't see how they can try to patent something so basic, without coming up with something more unique to add to it.  Most people have commented that they hope the patent is denied, and I agree.  There are just somethings that need to be left alone, instead of made into a business to make money off of.

Namaste my friends,

Chess

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Daily Gratitude

My friends and family have been seeing my posts lately on Facebook and twitter about my daily gratitude.  I pick one thing each day to post about, that I am grateful for.  Some are big, some are little things, but each one is important to me.  It is in an effort to see things in a more positive light.  This article on doyouyoga.com is just one reason why I am doing this.

I feel like for a long time I have been living in a fog, and I am trying to make my life everything it can be.  I am tired of buying into the idea that things make people happy.  So consequently, I am working on being grateful for what I have now.  I have questioned many things, due to my job and the feeling like it is killing me, so I am trying to change my way of thinking to get through this trying time.

I hope you will all join me by following my posts on twitter or even making posts on your own.  I use #dailygratitude with all my posts like this.

Love and light all,

Chess

Sunday, September 22, 2013

A little background

I took my first yoga class in my undergrad program.  I had to have a minimum number of credit hours to remain at full time status, to keep my health insurance.  I started bellydancing a couple years before, and I figured yoga was as good a class as any to take to get my minimum in.  So for 3 credit hours, I tried yoga for one semester.

The type of class was Iyengar.  I don't really remember much about the class, other than I learned a lot about my body, what I could and couldn't do.  We had to remember the Sanskrit names of each pose, which I don't remember many of now.  I guess I should brush up on that now, huh?  I also remember that one of the instructions given to us was we couldn't do any inversions when we were experiencing our Menstrual Cycle.  That meant free time relaxing on the side of the room.

Years later, I took a bellydance workshop at a local studio.  It was actually a yoga studio, and I think they were trying something new by offering the bellydance workshop.  I was intrigued by the fact that the owners decided to offer classes for donation, instead of regular prices.  Eventually, I started going to classes there and fell in love with the Vinyasa style.  It builds strength and stamina, and I feel so fabulous when I leave class.

Namaste my friends,

Chess

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Welcome!

I have been talking with my friends and family about becoming a yoga instructor.  Last night I went to an informational meeting for the yoga teacher training (ytt) course at Cambio. Yoga.  They have a 10 week intensive that I have thought about doing for a bit, and they are just starting an extended program.

I think I prefer the intensive course, as I could guarantee the amount of time it will take, and I will also build some great friendships with the other students along the way.  The extended program is so new, and Kate, one of the instructors, stated that they would need enough students to hold each class, and I worry that it would be pushed out for not having enough students.  Also, it feels like I would be going it alone, so to speak.  It would be for the whole weekend, and I would have to give up my weekends, including bellydance, every time there was a class.

As a result of trying to get further with these plans, I have decided to start writing a blog about my yoga journey.  I want to write about my inspiration, my learning, my failures and successes.  This will benefit me as well as potential students of other ytt and of my students when I become an instructor.

Please let me know what you think.  How is your journey going?  What inspires you?

Namaste my friends,
Chess