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Support for Your Practice ~ Embodied, Intuitive Sequencing

November 15, 2020 Leave a Comment

Amy exploring…

In this exploration of yoga practice, I discuss fostering a yoga sequence that is intuitive rather than one that is done the “right way” or one that is repetitive. Of course following the body’s lead will be more or less accessible to practitioners of yoga depending on how clear and open the channel is for listening and connecting to one’s own body in movement and in life.

There are reasons and times for having and following a fixed sequence. Safety concerns may play a part in tending towards a more set practice sequence approach, which is a valid concern especially for beginning students who are learning the poses and building sequence structure or if a student is working therapeutically. In order to establish a steady practice and a regular routine, this can require basic building blocks and a set sequence to begin from.

In teaching a general class of students my teaching layout is usually specific and intentional. Certainly for workshop preparations. I create an outlined, arced and ordered posture sequence around a central theme with a progressive movement to an apex followed by counter poses and/or pranayama for overall balance. It is a sequence that speaks the language of yoga to a greater variety of bodies…

The Language of Sequencing
A sequence of yoga poses is a kind of language and communication tool within the body/mind/heart flow. Similar to stringing words together to form a sentence, there is a structure to sequencing that supports communication and understanding. If without some kind of organization, a sequence of poses or collection of words can be disjointed and therefore difficult to take in the fuller meaning or have a meaningful or beneficial impact.

In my own practice I come to the mat with a sense of both purpose and curiosity, intimacy and reverence. Even if I have the motivation to bring myself to the mat, even when aiming for a specific peak pose in the arc of my sequence, I will feel my way through my body in order to unfold and free up the physical, emotional and mental elements that invite me into a deeply satisfying and rebalancing yoga practice.

Knowledge
Success for a naturally inspired individual practice sequence, as well as deriving the most benefit from our practice relys on cultivating both listening inward but also knowledge. Knowledge empowers our practice potential. We can bring to our practice what we have learned from our reliable teachers and other resources about the affects of the yoga postures and benefits of a balanced yoga sequence. Certain postures are heating and other’s cooling, each one more stimulating or calming or balancing… Cultivating an experiential understanding as well as working closely with skilled, wise teachers who utilize creative and intelligent sequencing principles helps to build a solid foundation of confidence to meet one’s current needs and to embark on a solo yet expansive practice journey.

Enjoy your yoga journey!
–Amy

Filed Under: News

How do we Sustain Resilience & Teach Yoga through a Pandemic?

April 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

During the early phase of our community response to the​ ​COVID ​pandemic and the start of the​ ​”shelter in place​”​, ​the Yoga center closed down and ​I began teaching ​remotely through a tele-seminar platform and audio Yoga ​class ​series.

In the beginning, I felt drawn to the theme,​ ​Finding ​Refuge through ​Yoga and taught ​these classes with a variety of sub themes and well rounded practices​ focused on the benefits of slowing down and going inward​. As time went on​, I shift​ed focus towards what ​potential growth opportunities w​ere arising​ through this pause ​period, as ​well as the renewed ​signs of spring​. I ​then ​felt drawn to teach the theme,​​ ​Awaken to ​Life through ​Yoga and have continued ​through ​the last few weeks again offering a well rounded sequence of yoga postures and breathing techniques to express ​how yoga supports ​this wonderful theme. Now as May approaches (6 weeks later) ​and for an uncertain amount of time, ​I am shifting again to the theme,​ ​Cultivating ​Resilience​ through Yoga​. It feels appropriate at this moment to ​support our staying power, ​maintain a healthy and discerning perspective a​nd continue to ​rally-up and ​re​-​emerge from ​any adverse affects ​of ​the​ pandemic​.​

​My Considerations for Yoga, Resilience​ & Teaching ~​
Resilience is a​ dialog between endurance, vitality and immunity and expresses itself in our health on all levels- body, mind, and heart. Physical resilience as well as support for immunity is sustained through ​wise ​lifestyle choices and healthy habits, including an ongoing Sadhana – ​the Sanskrit word referring to ​our yoga and meditation practices. Mental resilience and immunity comes through our mental perceptions and mental discernment.

​The ​Yogic principle​ and Sanskrit word Pratipaksha Bhavana is ​discussed ​in the 2nd chapter of Patanjali’s ​Yoga ​Sutras. The main thrust of this principle is to cultivate the opposite; replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. When we have adverse thoughts or perceptions,​ instead of focusing on the negative​ we cultivate positive, kind and compassionate thoughts, thereby opening our view to see what is good, growth-full or beneficial​.

In Ayurveda there is ​the guiding principle and term Ojas– our vital essence, our natural immunity and natural radiance. Resilience. It also refers to mental and emotional wellness. All th​e energy that we take in and put out as well as our lifestyle choices ​either ​nourishes this vital essence or can be detrimental to it.

Yoga can Support us in Feeling ~
Balanced
Present
Centered
Alive
Energized
Calm
Clear
Connected
Integrated
Compassionate
Strong
Open​
And…​

How does Yoga ​Foster ​Resilience?
Working from the inside out cultivates embodied integration within structures & systems
Supports Physiological function
Supports musculoskeletal function & endurance
Pranayama expands respiration capacity
All yoga practices- postures, breathing & meditation- develop physical/physiological endurance & mental calm to better manage challenges
Increase recovery rate & injury prevention
Fosters mind-body connection & embodied presence to consciously meet each moment
Fosters healthy parasympathetic response of NS for good rest & digest to counter balance life stress
Helps us embrace the unknown & uncertainty & cultivate trust
Easier mental & emotional recovery
Brain health through positive thinking- ​(​see above-pratipaksha bhavana)
“Neurons that fire together wire together “ -Rick Hanson
​And…​

Best to you,
Amy


P.S. Webster’s Dictionary​,​ definition of Resilience​: “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change”

Filed Under: News

Musings on Finding Refuge in Yoga During the Time of the Pandemic

April 9, 2020 Leave a Comment

It’s been an interesting reflection time as we “shelter in place” through this pandemic. I’ve noticed that I have been pulled back and forth between doing and being.
At times I feel super motivated to make positive, next-step movements in my life and in desired growth areas.
At other times silence, uncertainty and the power of the unknown seems to override and I feel a bit stuck and unsure of what to do with my time.
Grappling with my desire to be a productive member of humanity vs. my need to be in the quiet expanse of my backyard, hiking in Nature…

Some days it’s been quite a back-and-forth and today thankfully, I came to realize that finding refuge in yoga is about this space in between. In between the outer call to action and inner call for reflection, in this place there is a spacious, integrated experience. A way in which we can be both mindfully engaged and receptively intelligent to the natural unfolding of Life as it lives through us.
Finding refuge is not hiding out and being passively or unconsciously somewhere. Finding refuge asks us to seek sanctuary in our own authenticity moment to moment, breath by breath.
Separately focusing on the self-generating discipline of Tapas (discernment of purpose), or just cultivating Santosha (awakening of contentment), or swinging between the two is not the most skillful way to live these guiding principles. However, bringing awareness to the value of each and then exploring the authentic space in between, this is where we can live both dynamically and peacefully.

What can I discover from this spacious, suspended-like moment in time?
In the space between the doing and being I am more aware of what is naturally emerging, what is naturally shifting and growing through me. Consciously living in this space is not automatic, still, as I listen long enough and follow my inner guidance on this, I feel that my life will be truly aligned and harmoniously held in this space between.

I love the fact that the seismologists today are finding at this point in time, there are substaintial decreases within the earth’s movements from less human activity-less transportation vehicles and industry etc… This is a precious time for renewal and fresh seed planting! I truly hope through an integrated response to this world-wide pandemic, that as a global community we can make positive and responsible changes for a more sustainable life and future for those who come after us.

“The two greatest warriors are patience and time.” -Leo Tolstoy

Filed Under: News

Valentines Week Contemplation…What is the Heart of Yoga?

February 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Often in a phrase, the word heart is used to mean essence, center, core… In Yoga, is the Heart of Yoga Breath, Presence, Balance, Awareness? 

Breath?
The natural intelligence of the breath and pranayama (life force) are central to the practice and appear in the form of opposites and yet through our engaged yoga practice, any remnants of the mind’s assumed sense of separation dissolves…

Presence?
Being receptive to our experience moment by moment, as Yoga asks us to be, is in a way an invitation to tap into our intimate, generous and loving nature… 

Balance?
Essentially Yoga restores the natural balance of the body through facilitating the body’s intrinsic wisdom and healing mechanisms.

Awareness?
The consciousness that knows yoga as a unitive spiritual path and offers insight into what is fundamentally and absolutely true; that all is interconnected, that we are One…

What is the heart of yoga to you?

Filed Under: News

Be True!

January 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

Be True ~ Satya

After Ahimsa, the precept of non-harming, Satya is also a founding yogic principal. It is the ground from which the yoga teachings are based; it is the source from where it comes and to where it ultimately returns.

Satya is the second Yama (Sanskrit word meaning relational ethics) of the first step on the Eight-fold yogic path. Satya (Sanskrit word for truth) is the application and heartfelt commitment to truth. Cultivating being true in our lives- our relationships, communications and actions in the world.

Aligning with Reality is where many philosophical thinkers and spiritual Gurus point to and from where authenticity and insight arise to support our lives.

Yet we are often veiled by the conditioning and mental constructs of our family and cultural and societal expectations. We can forget or disconnected from who we are. Yoga has the tools to help us to re-member (especially Asana :)), to re-connect and Be True!

Come join me in Yoga Asana classes Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays at 8:30 am followed by Insight Meditation Saturdays  at 10:15 am.

 

Filed Under: News

Where are You at Right Now?

July 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

Where am I at right now?
I love this aspect of yoga practice; that it asks us to inquire moment to moment and even breath by breath!
What is actually occurring in my body? What am I asking it to do exactly and is my mind present to it? Is my awareness able to expand to include all of what is present in any given moment?

This kind of inquiry might seem obvious or even unimportant however presence is the ground from which we can live our lives and from which our actions, speech and thoughts arise with integrity, from where we truly are.
Living from where we are, being authentic to ourselves- not from how we think we should be or others think we should be- yet from where we feel naturally creative and inspired. Living from where we are in any given moment, this not only strengthens our outer actions and relations, it also supports living connected to our true inner nature.
Our True Nature can also be known as awakened consciousness or higher Self. This is what Yoga teaches us- to connect to NOW in body, breath, mind and heart; then from here and now, to know, to act, to BE freely from our True Nature.

So, where are you at right now?

 

“Your body is precious. It is your vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” — Gautama Buddha

Filed Under: News

Is “My Yoga​”​ for ​My Benefit Only? An Offering of Metta

February 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
~ Mary Oliver

This quote by Mary Oliver reminds us that our personal growth and yogic awakening is not just for ourselves but serves a much greater purpose.

Our motivation for practicing yoga and meditation may be or appear to be for our own benefit. We have specific areas in our body or in our inner life, concerns that we are “working “ on, or feeling a call to return to balance… and this often brings us to class and to the mat.
Considering that most of us live in a circle of community or within several communities, our actions and speech can and do affect the larger whole. The Gurus of yoga have advised us that in addition to our actions and speech, our thoughts have perhaps a larger impact and the power to affect not just our inner environment but also our outer environment.
The fundamental and highest wisdom teachings of Yoga is AUM (aka. OM). That reality reflects the truth that we are ALL deeply connected. We are a union of individual and absolute; a unified body, mind, heart, and Spirit.
Contemplate dedicating the benefits of your yoga journey, and bringing a person or people into your mind/heart at the culmination of your practice to foster connection and Metta (loving kindness) as well as a greater Yoga. Simply acknowledging that as you cultivate your motivation and sincerely “work” on and through your own body and mind to access your natural wisdom and compassion, you will have a positive affect on those in your life.
A Metta Practice to Offer to Another ~
​May You Be Healthy in Body, Mind & Heart! ​
~ Amy

Filed Under: News

How do you show up for Yoga and for Life?

November 14, 2018 Leave a Comment

“Your yoga practice always has to be a little more clever than your habits.” ~T.K.V. Desikachar

How do you show up for your Yoga practice?

I love this quote by Desikachar because it asks me to question the importance of what one brings to the yoga practice and how that affects it’s real potency. It points the responsibility to the individual practitioner to fine tune their self awareness rather than to unconsciously follow a behavior within oneself or power play between teacher and student.

How do you show up for your practice? Do you find yourself repeatedly wanting the same results when coming to practice? Have you ever had an experience of complete freedom through your yoga practice? Does any of this inquiry relate to life ‘off the mat’?

How do you show up for life?

The yoga tradition offers us many self-care practices for well-being of body, mind and heart. However the main aim of yoga as a spiritual path offers insight into the human dilemma and how to skillfully navigate through the ups and downs with more inner awareness and ease.

Opening and unwinding physical and mental tension patterns, taking our guard down and being more fully present with oneself, opens up a space in which we can uplift our view and see ourselves more clearly. When we truly allow the yoga practices and the cultivation of an embodied presence to have it’s affect, the mental tapes, physical restrictions and emotional tendencies come to the surface and offer us the experience to simply Be. When we continually attune as well as surrender to awareness itself, freedom arises.

First, we must be motivated to be happy and second, we must be willing to take responsibility for our actions, including our thoughts and emotions and how they affect our inner and outer world. If we are not interested in being Self-aware, likely our habitual tendencies will drive our actions and the degree of our suffering. Our yoga practice and it’s affects might remain superficial and our human body, mind, heart might not see it’s full integration or potential.

Here and now, you are invited to show up fully for each practice and for Life!

Filed Under: News

Is a Mentorship Pathway for you?

February 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

Long-time Yoga Teacher, Mark Whitwell on the Teacher-Student Relationship:

“In the entire great tradition of human wisdom the universal method is the mutual affection between two real people, the teacher-student relationship. This is not a relationship of authority over another, it is not a parent child relationship. It is one of utter mutuality. The teacher is no more than a friend and no less than friend. In this friendship real bhakti arises, not manufactured feelings for an authority or public persona, trying to get somewhere, trying to get something that seems absent most of the time. The teacher has no interest but to empower the student, to give the tools that allows the student to stand in his or her own power. When this happens true devotion, very real life long gratitude arises between two people who are obviously standing in the same garden! the same reality.”

Offering myself as a yoga mentor has become a natural progression through over 3 decades of teaching yoga and training yoga teachers. It is an opportunity to foster the relationship between teacher and student as well as to share ways to support a Yoga practitioner to follow their own Svadharma in relationship to their yogic journey (See “Follow Your Bliss” : http://shastayogainstitute.com/blog/).

Honoring Yoga’s sacred teachings and the shared wisdom between teacher and student offers an in-depth support professionally, personally and spiritually for the student to integrate Yoga into daily living. Below is a glimpse into the mentorship content although each pathway is unique to the teacher-student relationship and experience.
For those on a Teachers Path, mentorship can facilitate the next level of confidence, understanding and skill refinement for teaching. On a Life-Long Learners Path, mentorship is an opportunity to receive the teachings directly from teacher to student, to deepen Yogic knowledge and personal as well as spiritual refinement.

I look forward to exploring with you! –Amy

~Teachers Path (TP)
This path is a specialized one-on-one mentoring program designed for 200-hour or 500-hour YTT graduates. It is an opportunity for teachers or teachers in training to expand their skills while deepening their knowledge of the practice. This mentorship is specifically designed to support educational development and personal interests.
Based on interests topics may include:
Class sequencing, alignment for different body types, hands-on assisting, appropriate cueing, crafting special series and/or workshops, and finding one’s voice.

~Life-Long Learners Path (LLLP)
This is a specialized one-on-one mentorship pathway designed for dedicated and experienced yoga students looking for an in-depth study of personal development and refinement.
Based on needs topics may include:
Personal practice development including posture, breathing and meditation, healthy life style choices, and opening the heart for peace of mind and healthy relationships.
For more information and what each pathway includes go to: http://shastayogainstitute.com/amycooper/mentorship-pathways/

Filed Under: News

Meet Yourself with Compassion & Equanimity

December 28, 2017 Leave a Comment

Yoga’s alchemy offers a deepening within oneself, a movement from the periphery towards the core nature of being human. 

Take a moment to consider your state of being when you first came to yoga. What was your experience of yourself in that first practice? How has your experience of yourself changed over the course of your yoga practice? How does yoga support your inner life and your current growth?

Yoga teaches us to be present and to source from within. Thus it is important to tune in to the awakened heart, aka. bodhichitta… The practice of yoga, including meditation and self-inquiry are a means to attune more with one’s own inner experience and with being awake. Amidst more challenging emotions and dynamics, Yoga can provide a reliable accessibility to wisdom and compassion and in addition, loving kindness.

Our hearts and minds open and become more vibrant as well as peaceful when we feel into ourself and others with loving kindness, aka. metta… An amazing and surprising spaciousness can also be felt in the body through the offering of metta. This can be a true healing and renewing experience which I invite each of you to do on your own (see resource below) or please join me Saturdays at 10 AM for Meditation and metta…

Amy

Metta practice resource: https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditation-metta-lovingkindness/

Filed Under: News

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Latest Blog Posts

Support for Your Practice ~ Embodied, Intuitive Sequencing

Support for Your Practice ~ Embodied, Intuitive Sequencing

November 15, 2020

Amy exploring... In this exploration of yoga practice, I discuss fostering a yoga sequence that is intuitive rather than one that is done the … Read More...

How do we Sustain Resilience & Teach Yoga through a Pandemic?

How do we Sustain Resilience & Teach Yoga through a Pandemic?

April 27, 2020

During the early phase of our community response to the​ ​COVID ​pandemic and the start of the​ ​"shelter in place​"​, ​the Yoga center closed down … Read More...

Musings on Finding Refuge in Yoga During the Time of the Pandemic

Musings on Finding Refuge in Yoga During the Time of the Pandemic

April 9, 2020

It’s been an interesting reflection time as we “shelter in place” through this pandemic. I’ve noticed that I have been pulled back and forth between … Read More...

Valentines Week Contemplation…What is the Heart of Yoga?

Valentines Week Contemplation…What is the Heart of Yoga?

February 12, 2020

Often in a phrase, the word heart is used to mean essence, center, core... In Yoga, is the Heart of Yoga Breath, Presence, … Read More...

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