New FB Plus Video: Power Yoga to Challenge Your Balance
If you’re looking for an advanced Power Yoga Flow, a shorter practice that moves quickly, packs the heat, and challenges your total body with unconventional movements, then this workout is just for you :-)
Once you know the poses, and you’ve spent time molding them in your body, it can be tempting to shift into autopilot, losing presence. Staying present is a consistent practice for me, as I often catch myself everywhere but the present moment–especially when my practice feels easy or mundane. Through the several years of my yoga journey, I’ve learned that feeling bored and certain poses growing more comfortable in my body is a natural process; I’ve learned, as well, that when this happens, I don’t need to reinvent the yoga poses, or go hunting for excitement, I just need to come back to presence.
My intention for this flow is just that: with the combination of a quick-moving pace, and the exploration of unconventional movement patterns rooted in foundational postures, this flow challenges me in a way that not only snaps me back to presence, but reminds me to not take myself so seriously; I want moving my body to be playful, joyous, and empowering so that I want to come back to my practice again and again. Therefore, I recommend that practitioners are familiar not just with the names of poses, but have embodied experience with foundational postures, such as the lunges and Warrior poses, and are comfortable with multi-planar movements.
Presence, especially when presented through physical challenge, is an invitation for me to dive deeper; it is the opportunity to notice my defaults (movement and/or thought patterns that arise when I’m on autopilot), and become curious: “I’ve noticed that I always place my hand on the inside of my foot in extended side angle. . .what happens if I take my hand to the outside of my foot?” Or, “Holding High Crescent Lunge brings up thoughts that I’m not strong enough to hold this, and I can’t get my hips low enough so what’s the point? What if I change the story I’m telling myself, and try thinking the opposite of those thoughts, even if I don’t believe them at first?” My goal isn’t to rewire my brain, change my whole practice, or shame/judge myself for being “wrong.” I am making the choice to observe my own behaviors, and make subtle shifts in the behaviors that I think would better serve me. This is a messy and endless process; however, it can be fun if you’re open to exploration and willing to be compassionate with yourself along the way. :-)
Like I previously mentioned, boredom, discomfort + resistance are natural emotions that arise; working a practice of presence doesn’t eliminate or guarantee freedom from suffering, but it does allow me to remember that I am in control of the stories I create when these emotions arise, that I’m in control of my breath to regulate my nervous system, and that I am always free to make a new choice. I encourage you to let those feelings arise throughout your practice, and then make a choice to stay in, take a modification, and/or take a completely different pose that spikes your curiosity. Let your practice be wobbly and messy and full of growth; then let me know in the comments what you struggled with the most, what part was the most fun (maybe they’re the same thing), and we can celebrate all of it together. 🙂
New FB Plus Video: Power Yoga to Challenge Your Balance
If you’re looking for an advanced Power Yoga Flow, a shorter practice that moves quickly, packs the heat, and challenges your total body with unconventional movements, then this workout is just for you :-)
Power Yoga to Challenge Your Balance: Power Flow for Intermediate to Advanced Practitioners
Once you know the poses, and you’ve spent time molding them in your body, it can be tempting to shift into autopilot, losing presence. Staying present is a consistent practice for me, as I often catch myself everywhere but the present moment–especially when my practice feels easy or mundane. Through the several years of my yoga journey, I’ve learned that feeling bored and certain poses growing more comfortable in my body is a natural process; I’ve learned, as well, that when this happens, I don’t need to reinvent the yoga poses, or go hunting for excitement, I just need to come back to presence.
My intention for this flow is just that: with the combination of a quick-moving pace, and the exploration of unconventional movement patterns rooted in foundational postures, this flow challenges me in a way that not only snaps me back to presence, but reminds me to not take myself so seriously; I want moving my body to be playful, joyous, and empowering so that I want to come back to my practice again and again. Therefore, I recommend that practitioners are familiar not just with the names of poses, but have embodied experience with foundational postures, such as the lunges and Warrior poses, and are comfortable with multi-planar movements.
Presence, especially when presented through physical challenge, is an invitation for me to dive deeper; it is the opportunity to notice my defaults (movement and/or thought patterns that arise when I’m on autopilot), and become curious: “I’ve noticed that I always place my hand on the inside of my foot in extended side angle. . .what happens if I take my hand to the outside of my foot?” Or, “Holding High Crescent Lunge brings up thoughts that I’m not strong enough to hold this, and I can’t get my hips low enough so what’s the point? What if I change the story I’m telling myself, and try thinking the opposite of those thoughts, even if I don’t believe them at first?” My goal isn’t to rewire my brain, change my whole practice, or shame/judge myself for being “wrong.” I am making the choice to observe my own behaviors, and make subtle shifts in the behaviors that I think would better serve me. This is a messy and endless process; however, it can be fun if you’re open to exploration and willing to be compassionate with yourself along the way. :-)
Like I previously mentioned, boredom, discomfort + resistance are natural emotions that arise; working a practice of presence doesn’t eliminate or guarantee freedom from suffering, but it does allow me to remember that I am in control of the stories I create when these emotions arise, that I’m in control of my breath to regulate my nervous system, and that I am always free to make a new choice. I encourage you to let those feelings arise throughout your practice, and then make a choice to stay in, take a modification, and/or take a completely different pose that spikes your curiosity. Let your practice be wobbly and messy and full of growth; then let me know in the comments what you struggled with the most, what part was the most fun (maybe they’re the same thing), and we can celebrate all of it together. 🙂
With love + light,
Marina