Vinyasa Flow On My Own!

First official yoga-post from CHICAGO! I'm living in the Rogers Park neighborhood, and its very cute, interesting, and diverse.

There is literally a studio down the block from me, how cool is that?? I've also got a LivingSocial deal for a studio downtown for some hot yoga classes, so expect some posts to come from both locations!

For today however, I decided to just flow on my own in my living room facing our beautiful bank of windows while listening to music from "Fitz and the Tantrums".

I want to find a set format for these posts so they're easy to search and find what you're looking for. Not there yet but hopefully something will evolve in the near future!

Overview:
I did a basic vinyasa flow to music, starting from child's pose into downward dog. D-Dog is homebase for my flow. I started slowly, doing some standing stretches and backbends as well as tree pose. I then worked through Warrior 1 & 2, 3-5 breaths for each, and then did a rapid flow 1 breath per move working up a good sweat, moving through the warriors into plank, chaturanga, and into D-dog. Basically a modified sun salutation. I threw in some basic sun salutations as well, as well as chair and thunderbolt poses. One thing I've realized is that I don't know the true name for several poses I do regularly. Such as modifications after I lunge with one arm up one arm down, over the head, stretching backwards, etc. I think side-angle & half-moon pose? I'll have to look it up. I also did some of my favorites such as plow, fish, and shoulder stand. I also worked on my headstand a little bit, which was a bit wobbly today. I finished by doing camel (on your knees, bending backwards and grabbing your ankles, heart center to the ceiling), which is such a wonderful and powerful release, a cycle of different types of crunches in counts of 8, followed by of course, corpse pose and cool down.

All in all, this flow was about 50 minutes long, which is about as long as I like it. 90 minutes sometimes feels like too much, but there is something to be said for pushing yourself beyond what's comfortable.

Sidenote:
I like to include some kind of basic core work in my flow such as intervals of different kinds of crunches or doing the pilates 100. Something all my yoga (and dance) teachers have stressed is a strong core, and I have to agree. While doing the yoga work certainly helps strengthen the core, I find it necessary to supplement in some way.

Right now, I'm feeling those creaky bones and unworked muscles burning after that work out. I think I pushed myself in a good direction. Something really different I tried was pretending I was teaching the class and seeing how it affected me and how confident I felt about it. It went pretty well! I definitely need to learn the correct names of the poses better, but I think I have a good 'teaching voice' and a calming but supportive presence. I wonder how much teachers plan their classes and how much is just a general outline or if they make it up on the spot? Something to find out. I feel good about continuing on the path of certification though!

Music:
I LOVE doing yoga to music! You have to make sure the music you choose isn't distracting, and it doesn't have to be tibetan monk singing or anything. Just something with enough energy to drive but not so much craziness to clash. Create your own mix if you want! The vibe from "Fitz and the Tantrums" was kind of perfect. It's funk and soul, with enough energy to really drive but not to distraction, and it flows together well just like the practice. I think music should always be in the studios too. Most do some kind of typical "yoga" music, tibetan monks or flutes or something, but popular music certainly works too. If you want to take out the "uber-hippie" element that drives some away, I think contemporary or at least not "traditional" music, is the way to go. I'm sure there are some very traditional yogis out there who might object to this....but I've never really been one to stick to tradition. Update tradition!

Trying to get back on the wagon with yoga, hopefully lots more posts to come! Keeping a regular practice really is important, and I'm not very good about it. Practicing regularly really is the only way to master your balance and go deeper into the poses, working towards those really challenging ones.

Repost from Motus Dance Theatre

This is a lovely blog post from a member of Motus Dance Theatre (Indianapolis-based) on connections she's made in her life through yoga and dance. Interesting read!

http://networkedblogs.com/n34Ne

Yoga and Dance

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

by Motus

I remember taking my first yoga class in college, when Katie Teutchler decided to teach yoga instead of her regular advanced modern class one day. Even though admittedly my first yoga class did feel a little awkward and foreign, I remember leaving the class feeling refreshed and connected with my body and the world around me, as if my senses had been heightened.

When I moved to New York, I started a work-study program at a Bikram yoga studio in Brooklyn, and later decided to pursue a teaching certification though Integral Yoga NY. It wasn’t until then that I first really began noticing what yoga had done for my dancing. The benefits of yoga for dancers go way beyond building core strength and improving flexibility. Through yoga, I was able to finally begin filling out my movement – finding energy, extension, and fluidity in and between every movement. This was something that I’d always struggled with in the past and even through college. I’d returned to dance later in adolescence after years away, and didn’t have a great deal of confidence – so I shortened my lines and was a somewhat timid mover.

I always say that Sarah Mangelsdorf taught me how to breathe my freshman year of college. Yoga didn’t necessarily teach me how to use my breath to support my movement for the first time – although for dancers in all genres, this can be another important benefit of developing a yoga practice. Through my teacher training courses, I learned different breathing techniques and how to use breath or Prana – the life force – to help clear my mind. I believe that dancers, by nature, are perfectionists, and this perfectionism carries through to other aspects of our lives. It’s easy to dwell in the past, or get wrapped up in what is going to happen in the future – later today, next week, next year. Learning how to use breathing and meditation techniques to quiet the chatter of the mind and live in the present moment, which has helped me find better focus in technique class and while performing. I’ve gotten to the point where I can really feel a deeper connection with what was going on in my body, and have a much better awareness of where I’m placing it in space.

I find myself often wondering what kind of dancer I would have been when I was younger if I’d found yoga earlier and practiced consistently. I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to have discovered yoga when I did, in my early 20’s, and how I am so lucky to be able to continue learning, growing and evolving in dance and in yoga. I feel strongly that for me, the two are interconnected.

KR