My Yoga Experience- Katelyn Smyth

At my yoga classes, spirituality is a minor component that is expressed mostly by the instruction from the teacher. For example, she will talk about energy in the body, which could be referring to the soul. Additionally, pranayama is always practiced, which could be used to get in-touch with the soul. Besides the use of certain instructions and words from the teacher, spirituality does not appear to be expressed in other ways. Religion or things related to religion are never mentioned during the class. Based on  other classes that I have attended, I think that spirituality is typically a larger aspect of yoga than it is at the class I attend. I think this has to do with my instructor, and how she talks about yoga in a scientific and logical manner rather than in a spiritual way. If the teacher is a religious or spiritual person, that will tend to come through in their class. However, the opposite is also true. Therefore, I think that the extent to which yoga is taught as a spiritua...

Pranayama is consistently the focus of the yoga classes I have been attending. The first instruction is always to take deep breaths, and this instruction is repeated throughout the class. My teacher also shows us how to use different types of breathing, like alternate nostril breathing and ujjayi breathing. Although these breathing techniques are not emphasized at every class, they are the focus of about half of the classes I have attended. Often, these techniques are practiced first without any postures or movements of the body to go along with them, which further emphasizes the importance of breathing in my class. In addition to these techniques, the teacher tells us throughout the class to make sure we are moving with our breaths, and that our focus is remaining on our breath. Based on these instructions, it is very clear that pranayama is a focus of my yoga class, with the physical postures being much less important. Based on other instruction from the teacher, like to keep the min...

In the yoga class that I regularly attend, the main role of the body appears to be a vehicle through which mental clarity and focus can be attained. I say this because the class typically emphasizes maintaining mental focus and focusing on the breath, as well as moving with the breath. This leads me to believe that the actual movements of the body are not the most important aspect of the class, but rather the mental clarity and focus are. Therefore, the role of the body is to assist with this focus by moving according to breath. This seems to deepen the focus and make it more challenging to focus solely on the breath. Certain postures make it easier to focus by not requiring strength, such as corpse pose. Others, particularly postures that have to be held for a long time and require strength, make focusing on breath more difficult. Combining easy and difficult postures into one class allows me to practice focusing (with easy postures), and to challenge myself to focus even when it is d...

I'll have to admit, I was not looking forward to our in-class meditation. Having never meditated before, I thought it would be painfully boring and that I would not get anything out of it. My mind was definitely changed! I really enjoyed the meditation because it gave me a brief 20 minutes free from the constant worries, stresses, and thoughts that are always flooding my mind. I did not realize how those stresses can have a negative effect on me mentally until they stopped for a little while. The feeling is hard to put words to, but it felt like I was mentally refreshed; like my mind was a clean slate to start over with. The closest thing I can compare the experience to is a runner's high, which I have experienced several times before. I never realized how focusing so intently can feel like you're not thinking at all. Now that I have a better understanding of how meditation works and why it can be useful, I can see why meditation is often incorporated into yoga classes. How...

In my practice space, yoga is very much used as a form of meditation, if meditation is defined as a mental state of clarity and focus. One obvious way that meditation is practiced is through the breathing techniques that the teacher encourages us to use, ujjayi breathing. Because ujjayi breathing involves tightening the back of the throat, it requires extreme focus. This breathing technique, because it requires so much focus, encourages meditation. The teacher also explains meditation by telling the class to not let their minds wander, to be attentive to their breathing, and to clear their minds of any thoughts or worries. Another way that meditation is practiced is through closing the eyes, which the teacher is always reminding us to do. Although she does not actually say "meditation", meditation is definitely encouraged through her suggestions.

Yoga is defined in my practice space as much more than just the physical postures. My teacher said in class this week that there are several other ways of "doing yoga" besides attending a class. She mentioned that if you're walking in the park and feel one with your surroundings and feel at peace, that you are doing yoga. Based on my teacher's examples of what doing yoga really is, I would define yoga in the context of my practice space as: a state of connection and oneness with one's environment and concentration/awareness of one's body in relation to the environment. Based on that definition, yoga can be done anywhere, at anytime, and may not be a conscious act. Also, this definition of yoga does not require any physical postures to be done. My teacher's definition of yoga shows in how she teaches the class. For example, she often says that everything she tells us to do is only a suggestion, and that we should always be meeting our bodies wherever they a...