Real Yoga Stories: In love of YIN.

Teachers can heal and nourish. In this post Real Yoga Story: In love with Yin I am sharing moments from a recent teaching experience of mine. Yoga teachers and students come and go, but those who give themselves time for reflection on the teachings and practice through self-care homework can experience a growing awareness or “bliss of healing.”

The following real stories were shared during my last class of  Therapeutic Yin and Mindfulness, a class guided by the Chakra system. This fall session of classes not only changed the life of my students, but also deeply affected me – the one who facilitated the class and held the template – with possibilities to heal through yoga teaching wisdom, integrated energy healing skills and joyfulness from my soul.

STRETCH YOURSELF INTO NEW HEIGHTS OF YOU

“When you reach your edge, soften. Soften until you slip through the constraints and can create a new rhythm, a new route, a new release. Water is soft yet powerful. Reach your edge and soften.” Victoria Erickson

Highlights of this eight week program were captured in the last class where we celebrated by sharing many valuable insights. I encouraged the students to participate in active sharing by demonstrating their learning in five minutes presentations.

In this way, I became the student, and they became the teacher. I merely assigned them the chakra that was the best fit for each of them, based on my observations in class. This challenge was accepted wholeheartedly and with community spirit, supported and encouraged by myself,  and here is what happened.

1ST CHAKRA – MULADHARA – ROOT – Color RED – Symbol FOUR PETALED LOTUS FLOWER

Carolyne shared beautiful red rose petals from her garden and I started listening to her presentation:

“In doing some research for this class, I learned a great deal about both this chakra and myself.

Until now I have enjoyed every yoga session but I did not do any homework due both to laziness and time restrictions. During my recent research on the root chakra I began to realize how it has an enormous effect on my day-to-day life and I have come to the understanding that as in life, if you do not allow the root to grow, you will not survive.  All plants create roots first, then the stem, the leaves, and finally the flowers. During the winter season, the plant may seem dead, but the roots are alive and well, and ready to support the creation of new growth that will thrive in the spring. Similarly, all buildings are built on a foundation (root) and if this is not strong, the structure will crumble.

• HOW TO OPEN THE ROOT CHAKRA?
• Engage in more earth-related activities, i.e., connection with nature; gardening; cooking healthy; hiking.
• HOW THIS NOW IMPACTS MY LIFE?
• In times of stress, I now breathe deeply into my root chakra area and immediately feel more in control and relaxed.
• I take time to do short meditations using the root chakra to strengthen my base.

SECOND CHAKRA – SVADHISTANA – SACRAL – Color Orange – POWER OF CREATIVITY

It is a place where one becomes TWO. Therefore, two of the class, Gretchen and Heather, took the spotlight and shone light on the second chakra – water element.  Gretchen brought orange decorative pumpkins to illustrate the color of the chakra, to demonstrate the power of community that is held in the second chakra, and to provide us all with the opportunity to use the creativity this chakra stimulates to create something delicious. We discovered we create an inner and outer relationship in this chakra. Heather, as a trained yoga teacher, brought all her teaching goodies – music, books and yoga flow to share with us all.

THIRD CHAKRA – MANIPURA – SOLAR PLEXUS –  Color Yellow- “YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE!”

Lyn, took a stage with her passion for sharing her new discoveries and her comprehensive demo was enhanced with her personal insights on her life, as she said:

“As we sit here imagine you are sitting outside the building. The temperature is about minus 20, and there is a wind blowing. Your body automatically reacts and you pull up your shoulders and drop your ears to your shoulders. Please join this action with me and hold. The wind is blowing, and it is getting colder and colder.

My work meant I had deadline after deadline, week after week, year after year. As deadlines approached, I would clench my stomach similar to the way we are clenching our shoulders now. I have been doing this to my digestive system for at least the past 15 years.

Now release.

The release you felt when you dropped your shoulders is the release I felt in my solar plexus after last weeks Yin Yoga. I have been carrying a pain in my right side for over six years. It was such a relief to let it go. I now don’t have this pain unless I tense up. I am much more mentally aware of my body thanks to Veronika and these classes.

I was relieved to hear Veronika say there are two sides/ polarities to each chakra, the emotional and the intellectual. So I have realized that intellectually and mindfully I can control how I respond to situations.

So far, this chakra journey has helped me address my anxiety of losing my roots through retirement (the first chakra); given me awareness that I am a stick insect, not a succulent wild woman (2nd chakra), and released a blocked 3rd chakra that has negatively impacted my physical body. I am so grateful for this excellent learning opportunity with Veronika.

And now it is time for some fun. I have been working on my stick insect persona and ask you to join me in releasing my succulent wild woman!”

At that moment, we danced to support her and us; women in Sunday’s Yin Class full of joy and life. This scene touched me, and I have no words to express my gratitude for the completion of the first part of this journey – through the Physical Body session of the program.

“Well done, Organic Yin Ladies!”

As a teacher who created and shared this Yin Yoga program, I quietly turned my face towards the bright rays of light bathing us in its abundance, and released my sincere gratitude to the Divine for being with me, and with us, on every step we have taken so far traveling on this journey through the chakras.

“Bon Voyage!”

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Posted by Veronika Prielozna, MA, RYT500, C-IEHP in collaboration with class participants, Media consent received.

Gratitude for a post edit goes to: Lyn Mccluskey

New class intake for Therapeutic Yin and Mindfulness in on November 4, to save your spot in a class call Greenglade Community Centre, 250 656 7055 for our yin journey.