My new restorative movement class at Yudaguru will begin on Monday October 2nd at 7 pm. There will a limited number of in-person slots but for those who can't travel to Ellicott City there will be an online option!
Yudaguru is the creative brainchild of a visionary former student of mine, Abhik Saha, who once attended my UMBC yoga course and says it changed his whole life. I didn't know until we ran into each other a few years later on campus that he'd changed his major because of my class and is now a much loved and respected counselor. Quoting directly from the website: "We are a multicultural, diverse community of wellness practitioners, leaders, activists, visionaries, and artists gathered around the idea that the goal of of self-improvement is not solely for one's own wellness, but the wellness of all living beings. We actualize this perspective through psychotherapy, coaching, yoga, meditation, mind-body practices, and most importantly, engagement in coordinated acts of creativity, expression, play, volunteerism, activism and social justice aimed toward an egalitarian vision of equality, fellowship and environmental stewardship while protecting the values of individuality and innovation." Since I became a degreed Yoga Therapist in 2015 and also obtained certification as an AYURVEDIC Yoga Therapist my focus in teaching has shifted from using a more "dictatorial" style (learn this template of yoga asanas that varies little if at all) towards a softer, more collaborative style where I cue the movements but suggest alternative ways of moving, direct practitioner experience inwards towards awareness of person sensation and experience, Those who study with me are encouraged to develop a sense of agency within their practice; if some want to work "harder" while others need to be "softer" that is encouraged and celebrated. Yoga was never meant to become a competitive "sport" where you aren't a "real yogi" unless you can twist into a pretzel shape or a hardcore lifestyle where you can't be a "real yogi" unless you eat a certain way. According to Patanjali (who wrote the Yoga Sutras) Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind, it's a balance between effort and ease, and the Yama/Niyama guidelines are just that: "GUIDELINES" may mean one thing to those growing up in the root culture but might need to mean something else to those growing up in another. Our Yudaguru Sangha (community) is designed to help us all collaborate on the development and nurturance of the kind of world we would like to be a part of. We have so much to learn from each practitioner's offerings and so much to learn from each other. I hope you will join us! Visit www.yudaguru.com to learn more about the space and click the link to join the community!
1 Comment
|