Finding the Balance

Last week my yoga instructor posed the question:  "What do you hope that Ayurveda can personally help you with?"  At the time I immediately thought of my weight, but honestly knew that was not the answer.  Still, it was the answer I gave.  It wasn't until Saturday's 12-hour ASL workshop, and Sunday being so sick I could barely move, and the breakdown I had on Monday that I realized what I really needed in my life was some balance!  Tuesday morning after an hour of asana I immediately spoke with my teacher about realizing the true answer to her question.  She agreed right away.

I know finding my personal balance will not happen right away, but it is something I am going to make a conscience effort to work on for the rest of the year.  Hopefully after I focus on it for awhile it will become second nature and I will find the inner peace I so desperately want in my life.  How do you balance your life?

xoxo Gwen

Partner Yoga

I read quite a bit about partner yoga today since I choose to skip class.  I was mentally unprepared to give myself fully to my personal practice, not to mention partner yoga.  In Why Partner Yoga? by Elysabeth Williamson, she explains, “Partner yoga is two or more people joining together to deepen the impact and experience of a yoga practice.”  The main difference from individual practice is touch.  Not sexual touch, but using traction and leverage, and the “kinesthetic awareness that comes from touch, to open to greater depths in our bodies and our psyches.”

In one of her foundational practices she introduces Back to Back Meditation.  She claims, “The power and intimacy of this simple posture comes as quite a surprise to almost everyone who experiences it.”  I remember last summer during a partner yoga class I experienced it and it does weave quite a connection.

You can read more about partner yoga here.

I also went to Barnes & Noble and read through Contact Yoga: The Seven Points of Connection and Relationship by Tara Lynda Guber.  This book outlines...

The 7 Points of Contact:

7.  Union:  Surrender, Service, Freedom

6.  Vision:  Intuition, Focus, Creativity

5.  Communication:  Conversation, Connection, Honesty

4.  Love- Forgiveness, Compassion, Acceptance

3. Commitment- Will, Discipline, Responsibility

2. Passion- Sensuality, Pleasure, Desire

1.  Trust- Foundation, Integrity, Security

The Seven Points of Contact

With each of the “Contact Points” comes a challenge and a gift:

Challenges/Gifts of Contact Points

General Guidelines for approaching contact:

·         Build upon each step

·         Begin with yourself

·         Share your own experience

·         Maintain your own yoga practice

·         Create sacred space

·         Take responsibility

·         Use visualization

·         Empower the positive

·         Get out of your head & into your heart

·         Work your edge

·         Have fun!

Guidelines for communication in practice:

·         Learn your partners language

·         Listen, reflect & respond

·         Communicate what you want and need directly and simply

·         Use your words to shape reality, not to negate it

·         Make lots of noise

·         Once you’ve practiced for a while, spend a session without words

·         Listen to & trust your body

xoxo Gwen