grounding and centering - Stand on your feet, stand on your power

People often ask me why I have themes in most of my Yoga classes… the response is simple: because that is the way I lead my personal Yoga practice. I had the pleasure to learn from a brilliant Canadian Teacher in Mexico, some of her classes would include themes that helped me to make my Yoga practice more powerful and fun! More “focused”, although I only attended 5 of her classes, this made a strong impact in my yoga practice as It was exciting to link the beauty of yoga with an inspirational theme that would come from my heart. This way, the creativity and true expression of myself started to surface. As a Yoga teacher, my ultimate objective is to create a space for students to experience Yoga and to experience transformation, for me, the practice of a perfect Asana is secondary, however, the creation of a transformative place is primary.  So, providing an intention might just help this transformation process, students can be receptive to the intention, or they can totally dismiss it, it is their choice.

Stand on your feet and step into your power

This week’s theme is “grounding and centering”, which can be linked to many beautiful and complex postures, but we do not need to make it hard on ourselves, let us start with Tadasana or mountain pose. Strong grounding through the soles of the feet that provides a strong foundation for the knees, thighs, spine, neck and head, opening the chest, elongating spine, holding the head high in an almost effortless proud beautiful balance. Stand on your feet, stand on your power!

What is breathing?

And let us not forget the breath, the all powerful breath that will anchor our thoughts and bring the mind to the present moment… Why Yoga teachers keep asking the students to inhale/exhale… keep breathing… because students do forget to breathe!, the class starts breathing deeply, beautiful, and as the Asanas progress in complexity, at some point there is entire silence in the studio, and I wonder, are you still breathing?, the moment I say this, deep inhales come through, as if really, the students were craving for some air, but somehow did not manage to get it before hearing the word “inhale…”. 
Seriously, breathing exercises will compliment and offer a safe space for the Yoga practitioner who seeks to be in the present moment.

 Professor Velupillai explains that “Yoga is not standing on your head, Yoga is standing on your own two feet having proper balance in life” , this cannot be more true for me.