This Tuesday I attended the same yoga class I have for the past two weeks. This week, class was more focused on breathing than holding postures. Unlike previous classes where the emphasis was on ujjayi breathing, this class was focused on alternate nostril breathing. This was something I had never done before, and it seemed very odd to me. I was unsure of why we were practicing it. Does it have benefits? Is it better than regular breathing? These are questions that ran through my mind while at class. While doing this practice, Stevie mentioned that alternate nostril breathing can be very effective for a stuffy nose and for calming anxiety, making it a useful tool to use in those situations, not just when doing yoga. In addition to alternate nostril breathing, we also learned the Tibetan five rights, a sequence of five moves, each done a certain number of times. Stevie told the class that this sequence moves every joint in your body, and that even though it wasn't too strenuous, we would feel it the next day. Throughout class, Stevie talked about how we can use these breathing exercises and sequences of postures every day to calm ourselves or clear our minds. This is one way that yoga is framed as more than just exercise. In fact, Stevie mentioned nothing regarding physical fitness or even flexibility, but rather focused on how yoga can be an effective psychological tool. The idea of yoga practices enhancing areas of life not having to do with physical fitness is a common theme of the classes I have attended thus far. As far as yoga for empowerment, I personally have not felt empowered while practicing yoga. I run for a hobby, and have found that very empowering and almost addictive. I have not felt this way towards yoga, at least not yet. As with any form of exercise, I do believe that yoga has the ability to be empowering for some people.
If I had to sum up our in-class Ashtanga practice in one word, I would say challenging. The fact that it was challenging made it an enjoyable class, because I like exercise that challenges me and forces me to work hard. The most difficult aspect of the class was getting into some of the poses because they required so much flexibility, and I am only moderately flexible. The class stretched my entire body, especially my legs, which made me feel good afterwards. One aspect of the class that made a community atmosphere was how the entire class was arranged in a circle, with all of us facing towards each other. This brought a sense of togetherness to the class because everyone was facing each other instead of being in rows towards the front of the room. Another aspect of the class that made it feel like a community was how the class would look at each other for help for some of the moves. Because of this, we weren't doing yoga individually, but rather looking to our neighbors to see how...
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