This class will focus on balancing our energy through exploring all the corners of our internal map, and will include: Tornado Twists, Baddha Konasana [Cobblers Pose], and Wheel.
$12.00
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Traditionally, Yoga Asanas were practiced facing the rising sun in the morning, hence the name, “Sun Salutations.” Because of this, the practitioner faced East. Over the years, I’ve heard and seen several lineages refer to the anterior surface of the body as our “east” side. Asanas which lengthen the anterior surface, such as Purvottanasana, are sometimes referred to as an “eastern stretch.” Similarly, our posterior surface is our “west” side, and asanas that lengthen the posterior surface, such as Paschimottanasana, are sometimes referred to as a “western stretch.” Although I’ve never heard of our left side called the north, or our right side called the south, it’s only logical to assume we can think of them in this way.
The pandemic caused many of us to restrict our day-to-day mobility, forcing many people to work from home, and to leave the house as infrequently as possible. In addition to limiting our bodies’ movements through space, many of us found that being at home also created a more sedentary lifestyle, as well. And although many of the restrictions enforced early in the pandemic have now lifted, many of us have been slow to emerge from our shells.
Yoga philosophy teaches us that everything is within, and that we can find the whole world inside of us. If we adopt the idea that parts of us represent and become the 4 directions: East, West, North, South, we can think of our bodies as mini planets, and the movements of the Asanas can take us from place to place, all over our own 3-D body maps. This week, we will journey around our own inner world through lengthening and exploring all surfaces of our bodies – east, west, north, south, and of course we will reach for both the sky and the ground.
This class will focus on balancing our energy.