Back Home to Yoga – Getting Started At Home…Again

I had been practicing yoga off an on for years. While yoga gave me a sense of physical and mental wellbeing that I have not been able to find anywhere else, there were always seemed to be obstacles preventing me from practicing. Some of those obstacles were mental. As a woman of Christian faith, I was incorrectly told the practice was in contradiction to my faith. As a Black woman, I found very little support for the practice in my community. But once I overcame these, my obstacles became time and money. I had to find the time to practice and I had to find the money to for instruction and equipment.

Beginning the practice of yoga can be akin to learning a new physical, mental and spiritual language. In a way, that is how I view my practice in connection with my Christian faith. It’s like being bilingual. Anyway…when learning a new practice like yoga it is suggested that you begin in a class with a real live teacher. Teachers have the knowledge and experience to guide you on a personal level and being in class with others builds community. When I was able to go to class I loved it. But classes can be expensive. The least expensive I have found are usually at community centers like the YMCA. But even then, a six week class can average $60.00 - $70.00 and some people, like me, just can’t afford that. So what do you do? Don’t give up just yet! Time and money don’t have to keep you from practice.

While yoga class is best, I have found that beginning yoga videos are a close second. And any yoga teacher would rather you practice with a video than not practice at all. There is a wide range to choose from and you can usually find a good title for under $15.00. If you feel like you would get bored with a video (as I would), a good plan would be to buy 1 video per month and master it, then get another. If you have a home computer or laptop you can also find free yoga videos online at www.yogatoday.com.

Financial benefits aside, there are a few other benefits that videos afford. The first benefit is being the able to practice when you want. The second would be that you can control your practice time. There are many times when I don’t make it through the whole video. But I am patient with myself and I try to do more each day. There is also another benefit that some don’t think about. If you are anything like me, you may find it awkward going to a class and not knowing anything. Even worse, what if you are uncoordinated or feel like a klutz? Video can at least introduce you to the basic poses and give you a sense of how a class might be conducted. While classes do vary, many of the poses are the same.

One more thing, if you find that videos at home get lonely, you can still find community by inviting a friend or two over to practice with you. Hosting an in home yoga practice can be fun and motivating too. Go ahead and make and event of it by sharing a healthy salad afterwards.

How do you feel about practicing at home? What about with friends? Maybe there are others in your area who would like to practice with you... Post your comments and Let us know.

Namaste

Tanisha Renee

Revelation of a Tree Pose a Lesson on Living in Balance

I am so excited. I a short reflective piece a long time ago about my experience with the tree pose and Isabella -Online Magazine for Women just published it. Anyone who knows me knows that I am so uncordinated, which made this pose more than challenging. For the most part, everytime the video would get to the standing balance poses like the tree I would just go into child pose and wait for the next pose. I had siked myself into believing that I couldn't do it and that I really didn't need to since I was pretty good as most other poses.

But one day, the teacher said something...the same something she had said all the other times I did this series...I guess I was just in a position to hear that day...anyway...she said something that changed the way I saw this pose and the issue of balance in our everyday lives.

Here is that piece: Revelation of a Tree Pose - A Lesson on Living in Balance

Let us know what you think? Does this change how you view balance in your own life?

Namaste

Journey of an Urban Yogini

I was first introduced to yoga when I was in middle school, when we had a guest come to our P.E class to demonstrate some of the poses. I remember being very interested, and listening to what she had to say about Yoga’s origins and benefits. Most of all, I loved the poses. I thought her movement looked much like dancing in slow motion. But her visit was a one time deal, a “special” that was rare in my predominantly Black and Hispanic inner city school. In order to continue learning more about yoga, I checked out books from the library and tried to do the poses in the books. I felt good, but I was alone in my practice. Little Black girls in the ghetto “don’t do no yoga”, I was told. So I gave up practicing.

I picked the practice up again after the birth of my second child, using books and home videos. This time learning both basic poses (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama). Again, I was feeling good not only physically, but emotionally. I lost almost all of my baby weight and the breathing and meditation taught me valuable skills on coping with stress and staying in the moment, skills anyone, especially a mother can use. But again I was alone in my attempt to practice. And I was further discouraged by the church members who warned me that that yoga was “sacrilegious”. So I gave up practicing.

Now here I am again, picking up the practice, 4 kids and 15 years after I was initially introduced to yoga. Once again I am trying to rediscover what it feels like to be physically strong and emotionally aware or centered. So many of my beliefs about life and myself have changed since then, for the better. Honestly, it feels as if all my beliefs have fallen away and left me in a deserted place. But for me this is freedom, and it has left me with only the desire to live and experience life on a moment by moment basis, knowing, that this moment is all there really is.

It is yoga that gives me the ability to fully experience this moment by moment living. Yoga, which means to “Unite” in Sanskrit, is a practice whose main goal is the unity of mind, body and spirit. One of the wonderful things about yoga is that it is available to anyone who wants to improve their flexibility, increase strength, cleanse and condition their internal organs, improve balance and coordination and reduce anxiety, stress and tension. What Black woman doesn’t need all this!

Namaste