Yes to Yoga
September - 2010
Dear Friend,
News Flash: I am facilitating two workshops on Creating a Path with Purpose this fall. The first is at Sticks and Stones Farm in Connecticut on October 2nd. We’ll include some reflective work in their brand new stone and moss labyrinth! The second one is a workshop for women in Western Massachusetts on November 13th. Find out more about both programs at http://actiononpurpose.com.
As summer draws to a close, I am nostalgic about the more relaxed schedule and room for spontaneity this season provides. On the other hand, I look forward to activities that resume in the fall. In the last few weeks I’ve become aware of some aches and pains that haven’t surfaced for quite some time, and I realize that this has much to do with my yoga practice lapsing while my usual class was on break. Now I’m yearning for yoga, a delicious and healing desire, which has inspired me to write about yoga this month.
The purpose of this newsletter is to share with you simple and effective tools for personal, spiritual and professional growth. I have used these tools in my own life, so I know their power as well as their challenges. I have also utilized them in more than thirty years of professional work with others as a life coach, educator and psychotherapist. I offer them to you to try, adapt, and practice as methods to nurture your own growth.
Please send this issue to any friends who might be interested. Also, I would welcome your thoughts or comments on this newsletter. Have a great month!
Warmly,
Natalie
P.S. Interested in some support in clarifying your purpose or taking action on your purpose? Contact me for a complimentary coaching call to explore whether coaching could help you reach your goals!
“Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us
that prevents our living in the most full and whole way.
With yoga, we become aware of how and where
we are restricted -- in body, mind, and heart –
and how gradually to open and release these blockages.
As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed…
we begin to flow more in our lives.”
~ Cybele Tomlinson
Why Yoga?
Taking a yoga class is one of the actions I most recommend to coaching and psychotherapy clients alike. As I reflect on this, I realize there are multiple ways yoga practice supports healing and growth, so it is not surprising that it keeps coming to mind. Here are some reflections on the utility of exploring a yoga practice – to say Yes to Yoga.
Yoga Practice is Multidimensional
Yoga is undeniably a physical practice - one that stretches, strengthens, and invigorates the body. Practitioners report benefits of decreased stress, increased energy, and increased productivity following even 20 minutes of practice. The postures and movements in yoga massage the internal organs, enhancing blood circulation and functionality, which in turn lessens the risk of illness.
Yoga also yields significant healing benefits according to research studies on the physical impact of yoga practice. Dean Ornish, MD, has done considerable research into yoga and heart patients, and recommends yoga practice both to prevent heart attacks and as part of the recovery process. Yoga improves balance, muscle tone, and seems to help fight the fatigue that is part of illnesses such as Fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis. Yoga’s focus on strengthening, gently twisting, and lengthening the spine, as well as the small muscles that surround it, has proved therapeutic for people suffering various types of back pain. Yoga can also bring relief from many types of sports injuries.
Yoga means “union” – by nature an integration of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Even when yoga is primarily done for its physical benefits, the discoveries in yoga practice cannot help but be generalized to other dimensions of our lives. For example, I have noted that many clients are able to apply the principles of balance and moderation - learned in yoga practice - to management of their relationship to food and body weight.
Many in our culture experience a profound disconnection with their bodies – even rejecting or loathing their flesh and bones. Women are especially vulnerable due to the distorted body images promoted through advertising and media bombardment. This disconnection becomes a major impediment to a person’s capacity to heal and grow. Yoga helps us become embodied again by nourishing love and respect for our physical bodies, just as they are. I have seen many of my clients able to reconnect with their physical bodies after years of negligence, mistreatment, or distorted body image, as their yoga practice freed them to experience greater acceptance and integration.
Finally, yoga practice can lead to genuine inner contentment and spiritual growth. Meditation - one dimension of yoga and of many yoga classes - focuses the mind and moves us toward a greater sense of freedom, acceptance, and joy. Both the practices of meditation, and of yoga postures, train us in awareness of our breath. I think this breath awareness is the common thread that weaves throughout the multidimensionality of yoga.
Yoga Practice is Accessible
First introduced to the United States a century ago, yoga teachers and classes have steadily taken root in the US culture. Today, classes can be found in even small communities, in a range of affordability. Yoga studios have cropped up everywhere, and classes can also be found in community centers, health clubs, and senior centers. This accessibility is a key reason that I encourage clients to explore yoga so often.
There is also a wide variety of yoga styles and teachers, making finding a good match more feasible. Friends may recommend certain teachers or styles, but you will not know how it works for you until you actually take a few classes. I encourage experimentation with different traditions and teachers, when possible, to provide a better personal sense of fit.
Yoga can be practiced by anyone, and the postures can be adapted to any body size, disability, or physical limitation. An experienced teacher will provide adaptations for each movement to prevent injury during a class. Important: if you have an injury or weakness, be sure to mention this to the teacher before the class begins!
Finally, I encourage anyone new to yoga to take regular classes to get the full benefit. The structure of a yoga class provides a regular practice in and of itself, even if you don’t practice between classes. As you follow the prompts of the teacher, you also are likely to hear tidbits of the philosophy of yoga as you go. So a yoga class is very time-efficient: it provides an opportunity for you to exercise your body, to practice focusing on present-moment awareness, to become more relaxed and energized, and to learn useful principles that can – well - change your life!
Like investing money for retirement, the sooner you begin the practice, the more time the dividends have to multiply. But remember, it is never too late to begin! Why not say Yes to Yoga?
~ Action On Purpose Challenge ~
Say “Yes!” to Yoga in at least one of these ways:
- Refresh your intention and attention to your current practice of yoga.
- Sign up for a yoga class and attend it regularly for at least three months.
- Find and try out two or three different yoga classes and teachers. Talk about your experience with someone afterwards.
- Pick up and read an issue of the Yoga Journal.
- Other –come up with your own way to say “Yes” to Yoga!
Resources for Practicing Yoga
For more information on the philosophy, benefits and practice of yoga, check out:
“You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state.
What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where
you are resisting your natural state.”
~ Sharon Gannon
~ In the News ~
Creating a Path With Purpose: A Day of Personal Reflection and Mindful Exploration – I will be facilitating this day-long workshop at Sticks and Stones Farm in Connecticut on October 2nd. Click here for more information.
For Women: Creating a Path With Purpose – I will be facilitating this day-long workshop in Leverett, Massachusetts on November 13th. Click here for more information.
Next Steps - Want to get going on a plan for the kind of life you want to lead in the future? Contact me for a complimentary coaching call to explore whether coaching could help you reach your goals! Natalie@EldridgeWorks.com For a great list of readings and resources, go to http://www.lifeplanningnetwork.org/index.cfm?action=main.resources
Care to Comment? Have a comment about Natalie's coaching, facilitating, speaking or writings? If so, please send them to Testimonials@EldridgeWorks.com. We gratefully welcome your comments.
At www.EldridgeWorks.com, my virtual professional home, you will find information about coaching and psychotherapy services, as well as more about me. I would love to hear from you about the website, or the Action on Purpose newsletter. Contact me at Natalie@EldridgeWorks.com.
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