Sandra, welcome to Elephant Journal! Great first article; well done. Shared it on Twitter and Facebook. Looking forward to more. You are describing my path as well. All of ours, I suspect. "I had no idea that it would eventually lead me all the way back to the start." TRUTH.
Great article Nicolette. We so need more Yin to balance out our worldly Yang. Happily shared your article on Twitter and Facebook to kick off our new Meditation & Movement Summer Series too. Namaste, Sharon Marie
Amen Sista! Thank You Tova!
Judd, BRAVO. I can't wait for you to teach here at Wayland Square Power Yoga on Saturday. ODAT ~ Sharon
is it purposeful? is it an indulgence? is it to manipulate? is it to mask? is it to distract? is it to escape? is it to zero in? do we care? i have experienced class with and without. i prefer without. that may not be for everyone just as music during isn't for everyone. "... there's a field .... i'll meet you there." if there is music i'll still be there practicing my breath. :)
Wow. This is such a GREAT topic. IMHO, The "teacher" side of me - Music distracts me from focusing on the student(s). The "practitioner" side of me - Music takes me out of my practice. I can't hear my breath. I can't get deep into my meditation, on my breath at all. ( i don't know if this matters, but I personally need as little distraction(s) as possible to get this sense of going deeper into my practice and I do gravitate towards the Ashtanga practice) The "emotional" side of me. Music does MOVE me on some energetic level; an emotional, wonderful frequency. SOMETIMES a beautiful piece could be played during savasana and i get wonderfully lost in it. Music invokes a FEELING inside of me. Vinyasa yoga and the Breath invoke a, i don't know, a medicinal quality, like, I FEEL more centered, I FEEL more grounded, I AM calm. Music takes me somewhere, but not THERE. Does that make any sense? Do I need music to teach a class? Do I need music as a practitioner? Do I NEED ANYTHING EVER? I do not know. I think self inquiry, and to Philip's point, WHY music during class is always a beautiful place to ask as a teacher, as a student.
This method of teaching has freed me from debilitating fear that I have carried with me ALL of my life. The methods that Live Love Teach use didn't create or reinforce my fears, but diminished them. All of the teacher training and certifications I have been through were relevant, potent, and necessary. I had to go through them in order to get to where I am now. Live Love Teach was like the finishing school of my yoga teaching journey, if you will. I was given permission to BE ME, to relax, and be in love with yoga while I was teaching yoga in real time. MY NUMBER ONE FEAR? To be myself in front of a bunch of people I don't know and share my experience, strength and hope with them. It doesn't matter if you are a brand new teacher, a veteran teacher, or even a practitioner curious and entertaining the thought of teaching. It doesn't matter how much or how little you think you know. Come as you are, and leave as YOU AMPLIFIED with the freedom to be YOU. Bravo Philip. I cannot wait for the book! ~ Sharon Marie
David, excellent description of 4 part breath technique. Thank you. ~ Sharon
yulady, thank you for your courage and sharing your journey. love it and fight it all at once, love.
Anni, great insight and post. "The Secret" seems to speak to, encourage, and reinforce my attachments and everything outside of me. I'll admit, I saw the movie. I tried to embrace the suggestions. It didn't work. I SUCKED at The Secret, which made me feel like an even BIGGER LOSER than before I was aware of it's awesome power that I couldn't work. The secret is that there is no person, place or thing that can complete me or "make" me "happy". The Secret to that is inside of me. No where else. Oh, well in you too, Anni. It's in you, too. And you Eric. It's in you too. Thanks for spotting this piece. LUV YA. Peace.
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Thingamajig