Fin.

I can’t believe the semester is over already. I feel like I have come such a long way since I stepped into B126 back in September. I underestimated the power and difficulty of yoga. I thought that it was a very feminine and soft practice. When Laurie first started going through the history of it all, I remember thinking, “Oh geez, there’s no way I’m going to understand any of this.” The names of famous yogi’s were so foreign and strange to me, along with a lot of other terms. After learning more, I realized that even though there was a lot of material, it wasn’t impossible to understand. I can honestly say that leaving this class I know a lot more historical yoga figures than I did when I first came in.

At the beginning of the actual practices, I didn’t find them too challenging. It was basic stretching and balancing. It wasn’t until the second and third week I discovered the more challenging postures. This is about the time that I started feeling the physical benefits of the practice, but not the mental or spiritual. The more frequently I practiced, the better I felt. It wasn’t until one class during savasana when I realized how relaxing and calming it all was. The slowly started getting more of the other benefits as time progressed. Now it has come to the point that when I’m really stressed out or under a lot of pressure, I long for some time to do yoga.

Today we watched the film on Ram Dass. I found it particularly interesting because I’m a psychology major and I’ve heard of a lot of the experiments that were discussed in the film. The practice of yoga and the experimentation with psychedelics have a couple things in common: a heightened sense of spirituality and self-realization. The use of acid and other hallucinogens gives the user a disassociative feeling. They look at themselves in ways they never have before, from a different perspective. Yoga can do the same thing to people who are dedicated to it.

Marcello's Meditation

Class: Meditation
Date: November 23^rd, 2010
Time & Location: In class

On Thursday, Marcello gave us a surprise visit in class. We brought blankets from Laurie’s office. There were only a handful of kids in the class because it was the day before Thanksgiving break. We set the blankets against the wall, so we could rest our backs against something. Marcello gave us a couple hand outs and spent a few minutes explaining the different types of focus points in meditation. Once he was done, we all sat down on our individual blankets. This class was extra special because my boyfriend, Zach, had come down to visit for Thanksgiving break. He has never done any form of meditation before, so I was excited to see how everything would play out. Marcello began by telling us to sit in any position that we are comfortable in. We can have our feet out in front of us anyway we want and we can even lie down if sitting up gets too uncomfortable. I kept my back straight against the wall and let my feet stretch out in front of me. He started off by having us focus on the darkness that is the result of our closed eyelids. He told us to clear our heads and focus on this dark area. Every time we got distracted by a thought, we had to refocus back on this black abyss. I had a very hard time doing this. It was difficult for me to acknowledge this nothingness. I knew it was there, but I couldn’t accept it. It was actually quite frustrating for me because I kept drifting into thought.

Then he told us to focus on our breath and the top of our upper lip. I could do this a little better. Time just kind of flew after the first ten minutes. Marcello tried a few other techniques for concentration. There was a moment where I felt as If I was falling, my whole body and head went forward and I jolted up in a panic. I realized that maybe I just lost control of my body and it took me a couple minutes to gather myself. He then instructed us to grant peace and love to different things. It started off small. We made wishes for ourselves, then our loved ones, then the community, and then the world. He kept talking about a sense of warmth in our chest. At first, it was very visual for me. I pictured slowly moving red embers in my chest. Then I actually started to feel a very subtle sensation of warmth in that area. When he told us to extend our warmth out to different things, my red embers would float out of my chest and spread out to different parts of the room and eventually the world. It wasn’t until about fifteen minutes were left in the meditation that I heard Zach snoring next to me. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want him to wake up startled and disturb everyone so I let him be. Once the practice was over, Marcello said, “if anyone is snoring next to you, wake them up.” I found this amusing, but my boyfriend didn’t later when I told him what he did. All in all, it was a very relaxing exercise that made me extremely aware of my body and mind.

Love

Class: Yoga
Date: November 21^st, 2010
Time & Location: 7pm at Lakeside Lodge

Last Tuesday my boyfriend and I went to yoga at Lakeside. There were about ten student’s total, almost the same number of boys and girls. We set up towards the back of the room, in front of the teacher. We did the normal routine, but she added some extensive calf workouts. There was a position that required us to be in a lunging pose, holding our back leg’s ankle with our hand. I was really proud of myself during this position because I was the only person in the room who was able to do it, besides the teacher of course. I looked to my side and my boyfriend was falling over, with a face full of agony. It was pretty entertaining. During savasana, the noises coming from Papa John’s started increasing. It was a challenge to focus my attention. I focused on my breath and concentrated on a light I concocted in my mind. It was the only way I could focus during the savasana practice.

This is the third to last class of the semester. I will be going to her classes next semester because I really enjoy them and they are conveniently located. She did say that she wanted to find a better class location, which would be great. I’m really enjoying these last few classes because she’s really pushing and challenging all her students.

Meditation...

Class: Yoga: East Meets West

Date: November 17th, 2010

Time & Location: In Class

So today we had our regular yoga class. We were supposed to have an instructor, Marcello, come in and teach us guided meditation, but he never showed up. So instead, Laurie taught us some in the last fifteen minutes of class. All of us sat on the floor around her as she instructed us on what to do. She said that if we have a hard time sitting up to lean against the wall, so I did. Since Monday, my neck and back have been in immense pain. I can hardly move my neck and my back hurts whenever I do pretty much any movement. This is why I propped myself up against the wall. Laurie instructed us to focus on the breath on our upper lip and invision the cold air that we are breathing in and out. While doing this, I made the air visible by giving it a smoky appearance. The soft white air would slowly be inhaled and then exhaled as it scattered in different directions after hitting my upper lip. She then told us to relax our eyes and jaw, which I immediately was very tensed up. Then we were instructed to focus on any parts of our bodies that hurt alot, focus on the pain, and associate a shape with that pain and wait till it goes away. I tried to do this with my back and neck, but it hurt so bad. In fact, it made the pain worse and made it almost unbearable. After that, I don't remember anything. I didn't fall asleep, but I did completely zoned out. I don't remember if i was thinking anything in that time or if any thoughts were running through my head. The minute she said, "open your eyes," i snapped out of it. All I can remember is my head swaying back and forth in pain. It was a pretty weird experience. I definitely want to take another meditation class.

Lakeside

Class: Yoga

Date: November 11th, 2010

Time & Location: 7pm at Lakeside Lodge

So on Thursday, my friend Dave and I embarked on our journey to Lakeside Lodge to take another yoga class. When we got there around seven, the teacher was not yet there. She showed up a few minutes later and the room was not ready for us as usual. The drop down monitor was on and playing the news and Papa John's was blasting their music. She quickly moved some of the tables out of the way and asked the workers at Papa John's to turn their music down. Then we started class...

We did basic sitting, standing, and twisting yoga poses. The one thing I notice about these classes at Lakeside is that the teacher makes them progressively more difficult with each class. She had us do more balancing poses, which i found very difficult. She also made us hold the poses for longer amounts of time. Another new concept that she introduced to class was the ability for us to control our own movements. She gave us a sequence and would let us do it at our own pace, fast or slow. I really enjoyed this because I didn't have to worry if i was doing it in the same time as her, instead i was doing my own pace. It gave me a chance to close my eyes and not worry about what was going on around me.

I really enjoy this class and if it is still offered, I'll still go to it even after this yoga course is over.

Gentle Yoga and Pranayama

Class: Gentle Yoga

Date: November 4th, 2010

Time & Location: 4pm at Yoga Nine

Last week was insanely busy for me, much like this week will be for me. I decided that Gentle Yoga at Yoga Nine was in the best time slot for me last week, and it was a beginner class so it would be more my speed. I took my friend Keith with me. He was eager to try it, even though his jeans made it difficult for him to really get into the positions. We arrived on time, but class started a little late because Keith had to sign the health waiver and get adjusted. I was really surprised to see my Introduction to Social Problems teacher, Elinor Lerner, there as well.

We started off on our backs and did leg stretches. From our backs we eventually went up to our knees, all fours, and then standing positions. The one thing I noticed about Gentle Yoga is the frequent use of child's pose. It was very slow-paced compared to the other classes I've taken. The class was more my speed, but I was often bored at times. I'm so used to continuous movement and a more challenging atmosphere. I found the balancing exercises the most challenging. The instructor placed a lot of emphasis on breathing exercises. With every movement she would say, "inhale" and "exhale." The breathing stayed consistent throughout. She was helpful because she would often say "Don't forget to breathe," which in turn would make me catch all the times I would stop breathing and I would start concentrating more heavily on my breath.

In my past experiences, much emphasis has been placed on pranayama. I have done single nostril breath. One finger covers a nostril, leaving the other one open. Heavy concentration is focused on the breath and managing it. Teacher's will often make you focus on pranayama in the beginning of class, and let you keep it going throughout the remainder of it. It is through repetition that I have seen the importance of breath. Consistent breathing makes it easier to perform the different postures and allows the movements to flow evenly. I often forget to breathe during exercising, but now I catch myself doing it more often.

Yoga Flow Plus.

Class: Yoga Flow Plus

Date: October 27, 2010

Time & Location: 7am at Yoga Nine

I woke up before the sun today, ready to head over to Yoga Nine for my 7am class. I scarfed down a microwavable breakfast I bought yesterday just for this morning. It was pretty sufficient. I arrived at the yoga studio about five minutes before class was supposed to start. In truth, I feel a little out of place because all the students are older than me and they already know each other. I normally just keep to myself, and perform the rituals that I've adapted after only going there once before. I walked in, took off my shoes and put them in a storage square, along with my purse. Then I took off my jacket and did the same with that. Then I walked into the room and laid down my mat farther to the back of the room. I spent a little more time observing the room itself today because Laurie was in the shop screaming about a spider that she left under a cup, urging one of her friends to kill it for her. Ha ha. There are two photos on the wall. One is of a sitting elephant, and the other one is off a yogi performing a posture. She has more props than I remember being in there previously, ranging from cushions, to mats and blocks.

We started off class laying down and focused on our breath mostly. We did this for a good amount of time because all I remember thinking was how relaxed I felt at that moment. We went through class like I remember from last time, and I think I'm making a small step of progress. I'm flowing through class easier, not having to look up at Laurie constantly. I'm starting to understand the warrior poses more when it comes to how to position my thighs. I was sweating a considerable amount by the time the class was half way through. What I find most remarkable about the class are the abilities that some of the older men possess. These are middle aged men, all in pretty good shape. They're really flexible, at least more than I am currently, and they have excellent balance. I'd expect it from the women in the class, but not really from the men for some reason. A new thing we did in class were handstands. We started off walking our one leg up the wall and then having the other one meet it at the top. Then we had to push off the wall and hold the pose in the air. I actually tried it, but was too scared to actually push off the wall. Perhaps that will be my next challenge to myself.I'm really starting to understand the importance of breathing. It seems like when I stop focusing on my breath, my postures fall apart. All in all, it was a great way to start off my day.

Sivananda.

Class: Sivananda Yoga

Date: October 20, 2010

Time & Location: In Class

On Wednesday, we had Arlene Vogt visit Yoga class. I found the practice very similar to what I've been experiencing the past few weeks, but with a little twist to it. It was much more relaxing. The fact that I was insanely tired that morning might have been a factor, but I found myself really dazing out during practice. One thing I noticed about Sivananda Yoga is the frequent savasana's that are practiced throughout. We would do one set of multiple postures three or four times, and then go into savasana. This really allowed the body to completely relax in between movements, so I never got too tired and overwhelmed. This had its positives and negatives. On the plus side- I got to dream for about two minutes every ten minutes, but I never got the physical satisfaction I normally get after practicing. I felt like it was a bit too mellow for me.

The one thing that frustrated me the most during practice was that I couldn't go into halasana (plow pose). I have done it before with little to no effort, but I just couldn't no matter how hard I pushed myself. There was also a point where we were doing a pranayama pose where we covered one nostril with one finger and left the other open. We then held our breath all together and let it out. I found this really relaxing. There were points where I forgot what I was doing and would completely let go of my nose in an awkward daze. Overall, I found Sivananda Yoga interesting. I also really enjoyed Arlene's ability to demonstrate her postures and really engage us in the practice.

Yoga Nine.

Class: Yoga Flow Plus

Date: October 20, 2010

Time & Location: Yoga Nine

So I decided to change it up a little bit and go to Yoga Nine. The only class I could fit into my schedule was the 7am Yoga Flow Plus class. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed waking up before the sun. The air outside is so cool and calm at 6am. I showed up to Yoga Nine at around 6:50am and was eager to see what was in store for me. I walked into an adorable free trade store, full of unique jewelry, clothing, oils, fragrances, and much more. Laurie Greene started the class soon after. I really liked the room that the class was held in. The lighting was perfect, dim but not dark. Relaxing ethnic music was playing in the background.

There were about eight people in the class, give or take one or two. Out of all the students, only two were males, which is a trend I've seen in most of the yoga experiences I've had so far. All the students were Caucasian, except for me of course. All the students were middle-aged except for one woman who looked like she was about 60. As I looked around the room, I saw mats, blocks, and other yoga objects. Laurie started the class out with standing postures, which included warrior poses and an array of balancing postures. I really wasn't expecting the class to be as challenging as I ended up finding it, even though I should have gotten a heads up from the flyer that said the course was for advanced beginners to intermediates.

Throughout the class we did various things, such as upward dogs, downward dogs, one legged downward dogs, warrior poses, planks, forward bends, extended triangle poses, lunges, side plank poses, bridges, and much more. Laurie also had us do headstands and I was really surprised at the amount of people in the class that could do it. I didn't even try for fear of making a fool of myself in front of all these yogis who were obviously more experienced than me. Yoga Flow Plus was by far the most challenging yoga class I've taken so far this semester, but I really enjoyed it. Every time I couldn't do a posture, I would go into child's pose and wait for Laurie to continue. During savasana, Laurie went around and applied some kind of scented oil to everyones' necks. With every breath I took, I got a whiff of the smell. It was an indescribable pleasant smell, like an herb or something to that extent. I spaced out during savasana, relaxing every part of my body. I realized that I'm starting to really benefit from yoga on more of a spiritual level, which is something that I never thought would happen when I started this course. I really am enjoying practicing yoga.

By the time I left Yoga Nine, I felt full of energy and ready for my day. I'm almost positive I'm going to Gentle Yoga tomorrow at 7am!

Lakeside.

Class: Yoga

Date: October 19, 2010

Time & Location: Lakeside Lodge

There were less students than usual this Tuesday. The majority of us were girls, but there were three guys there. The class started off with the instructor asking Papa John's to turn the music off, so they would stop being such a distraction during her class. Class began the same way it usually does, with soft music in the background and the lights turned dim. I just remember wishing she would get a new CD to play because i pretty know all the words to every song on that album. She started off the class with us sitting regularly and she continued the class the way she usually does. One thing I realized during this class was that she was doing more warrior poses than she normally does. She is also making the class progressively more challenging. She made us do one legged downward dogs and also focused on stretching our arms more than usual. I like the fact that she's introducing new postures into our routines, but I figured it was time for some change and a different environment..

I'm Feelin' This.

Class: Yoga

Date: October 12, 2010

Time & Location: Lakeside Lodge

Class was held at the right room at Lakeside this week. It was nice being back in there, away from all the loud students and other distractions. In these classes, I feel like the emphasis is placed on the physical aspect of yoga. The teacher frequently speaks about stretching and expanding the muscles. After each pose, she tells us exactly what parts of the body should be feeling the most strain. The class is still pretty diverse with many different races and ethnicities. There are definitely more women than men students. As far the physical stature of the students, they're all pretty average in size. They all seem to be healthy and fit. I don't see too many obese or overweight people in the class.

The lights at the Lakeside are turned dim during practice. The instructor plays the same CD as she always does, but the tunes are mellow and calming. The only disturbances that can be heard is the ruckus that echoes from Papa John's kitchen. The teacher strives to keep our attention focused on the practice by referring to the distracting noises as "challenges." She tells us to concentrate on our breath and the practice at hand as a way to mute the world around us.

Nevrin explains how embodiment consists of three aspects. These key aspects are heightened sensitivity, attending to movement, and emotion. I felt as If I got the most out of this one particular class. I felt more unified with my body and felt a sense of calmness that was unfamiliar to me. I was more sensitive to the sensations in my muscles. The postures and movements seemed to flow a bit more than before. My mind stayed mostly blank during most of the class, to the point where I questioned if i fell asleep at some point during movement. I felt little emotion during the practice, but ended the class feeling elated. I felt much calmer and more settled than when I initially started the class. It was after this that I realized that yoga might have some potential in my life. I am now looking to find more of a spiritual aspect of yoga. I want to understand yoga on a physical and spiritual level.

Ashtanga Yoga

Class: Ashtanga Yoga

Date: October 13, 2010

Time & Location: In class

On Wednesday, Sharon Fruchtman taught us Ashtanga Yoga. I was eager to learn from Sharon because I also work with her at the high school on Friday's for yoga. Sharon is a very good teacher. She is patient, attentive, and willing to help those who need it. She is also a very skilled yogi herself. Laurie reminded us on Monday to be ready for an exhaustive practice, so I was expecting the worst. We did many different postures that consisted of back bends, warrior poses, front bends, and much more. We also performed vinyasa's between each complete asana. A single vinyasa consisted of a plank that went down into a back bend, then an upward dog, followed by a downward dog. I found the vinyasa's very exhausting because of the pace in which they were done.

I also found many of the postures very challenging. We often had to distort and bend our bodies in ways that I would have never imagined. I managed to do a majority of the postures, surprisingly. Although they were difficult and sometimes painful on my muscles, there was a great deal of accomplishment I felt once completing them. I found the process of getting into a posture the most difficult thing. Once I actually found a comfortable spot, I was fine. Although the process was rigorous, I got a great deal of satisfaction from it. After the class, I felt much more energized and ready for my day. I also felt very calm and relaxed. Overall, I have enjoyed learning and practicing Ashtanga Yoga the best.

Thanks BKS

Class: Iyengar Yoga

Date: October 6, 2010

Time & Location: In class

On Wednesday, Emari Digiorgio came to our yoga class to teach us Iyengar Yoga. At the beginning of class, she distributed some blocks and blankets. I'm pretty flexible from 12 years of dance, so I just took one block. There seems to be more props in this practice than the others I have observed and learned about. We did a lot of standing postures in order to open the hips and pelvis. We also did a few forward and backward extensions. Emari kept straining the fact that it wasn't a typical Iyengar Yoga class.

Emari kept asking us for our feedback, which is most likely something that does not happen during most practices. She also kept communication open, explaining things and telling us stories about Iyengar Yoga. I liked the openness of the practice, but it wasn't very realistic. Also, i really liked that she did it along with us for the most part. She would perform some of the postures as a model for us. I thought she was a good teacher, really engaging the students.

One thing that I noticed is that Iyengar didn't put as much emphasis on breathing as Bikram Yoga did. It might have just been the instruction by the two different teachers though. One thing that I am having difficulty with when it comes to Yoga is my inability to keep my back straight. Sometimes without even noticing, I would slump over while she was giving instructions. It really made me more aware of my posture, in the practice and in everyday life. Yoga is really all about posture, holding your body up so that your breaths flow easily. One thing that I really liked about Iyengar Yoga compared to Bikram is that we were allowed to close our eyes. This makes it easier for me to really think about my body and stay in my head because there are normally too many distractions when my eyes are open. Overall, I enjoyed the class and I can't wait to try out Ashtanga Yoga on Wednesday.

-Claire

Lakeside Relaxation

Class: Yoga

Date: October 7th, 2010

Time & Location: 7pm @ Lakeside Lodge

I arrived at Lakeside Lodge at 7pm only to find the main room of the lodge occupied by adults in suits, ties, and dresses. An event was being held at lakeside during our normally scheduled yoga time. Instead of cancelling class, the teacher made us all move to the lounge area at Lakeside. We moved the tables and chairs, and found enough room to fit everyone in the class and their yoga mats. We didn't do many standing postures during this session.

I found it difficult to really benefit from this class because the lighting was all wrong and there was constant noise coming from the dining hall. People were walking in and out and walking through us so they could get to the computer room. From a more physical standpoint, i enjoyed the routine. It really stretched out my muscles and I left feeling a bit better than when I came in.

In Class Yoga.

Class: Yoga

Date: September 22nd, 2010

Time & Location: 12:45pm In class

On Wednesday, we had a guest yogi, Dianna Polli, come in and teach us Bikram Yoga. The whole class spread their individual mats across the room and waited for Dianna to start the practice. The whole practice was extreme stretching of the muscles. There were some poses and bends that I found very demanding and difficult to complete. Throughout the class, there was a lot of emphasis on breath. I also found that balance was a big part of the practice as well. I found myself falling all over the place constantly, struggling to get into positions.

Dianna was a good teacher, but I found it hard to follow her teachings when she didn't show us herself. We were all just trying to decipher what her explanations were. Another thing I didn't like about Bikram was the fact that we could not close our eyes. When doing yoga, I normally close my eyes and try to relax. I personally found Bikram more of a physical practice than a spiritual one, but it was a good experience.

Zen.

Class: Yoga

Date: September 28th, 2010

Time & Location: 7pm at Lakeside Lodge

I've gone three additional times between my last blog post and this one, but those are undocumented and weren't written about. So, we'll continue on from here. I arrived to Lakeside around 7pm, with my baby blue yoga mat and my friend Dave trodding along beside me. It's the same basic set up and atmosphere every week. The room is dimly lit as soft calming music plays in the background. The temperature is normally comfortable and easy to exercise in. The one thing that has changed is the amount of men that are participating. Over the past couple weeks, I've noticed more and more guys showing up to practice.

We started off with basic breathing techniques while sitting Indian style. We spent a lot of time in children's pose. We also repeatedly did an exercise where the tips of our fingers were stretched out in front of us, and we had to lift our backside's up. After a couple sets, I felt the blood rushing to my head and I began to feel very dizzy. I'm pretty used to these routines by now. The instructor follows the same basic routine each week, adding a few additional things here and there. I found everything a bit more challenging this week because I've been kinda out of shape and not going to ultimate frisbee practice.

The teacher doesn't speak very loudly during practice. She'll just give instructions such as, "Walk your feet back towards your head and hold it." There have been a few times where I heard her mutter something about asana positions. She doesn't encourage any sort of chanting or sounds.

Next week I'm going to try and go to a session off campus. There's a lot of disturbances with the yoga class on campus. First off, it's right next to the kitchen of Papa John's. During the last session, the workers were blasting music the whole time and we could barely hear her. Another distraction is all the kids that are waiting in line to get food at Papa John's. They "accidentally" press the handicap button that opens up the doors to the room we practice in. It's really distracting and causes everyone to lose their train of thought. I really hope to get more out of these classes throughout the semester.

Class: Yoga

Date: September 15th, 2010

Time & Location: 7pm at Lakeside Lodge

I had a pretty disappointing morning, consisting of a quiz that I wasn't really ready for and an ultimate frisbee practice that ended up being called off. In the back of my mind I hoped that my first yoga session would bring me the epic relaxation that I craved so badly on this particular day. My friend Dave volunteered to accompany me. I know, It surprised me too. We showed up to Lakeside about five minutes before the lesson was supposed to start. After entering I immediately noticed the abundance of yoga mats, quickly reminding me of what I was lacking. Luckily, my complex director Lugenia was there and got some for me and a few of the other students.

I can honestly say that I didn't have too many preconceived notions because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't think It was gonna be too difficult or challenging, and I'm always at lakeside so the setting wasn't new to me either, but then... she turned off the lights. Soon after some very soothing music began to play in the background. That's when I knew this wasn't gonna be quite like I expected. There were about thirteen women and two men in the class, all varying in sizes.

The teacher sat up front on a blanket close to the stage, and the rest of us staggered closer to the middle and rear of the room. She was a petite Caucasian woman in her late 20's. She was soft spoken and came across as knowledgeable. The whole lesson was basically a lot of stretching and breathing techniques. We started off standing, reaching to touch our toes. We then sat Indian style and and did some stretching that way. She kept emphasizing the importance of breathing and relaxing our muscles. All in all, it was more of a physical reward than a mental one. I found it extremely stress relieving and It was a nice way for me to get away from the demands of my day, but It really did a lot for my body. My goal for the rest of my weekly yoga sessions is to really get something out of this, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

-Claire.