Yoga's spiritual side

[time4another]

mods please move if appropriate...

Last week I found myself crying during yoga. I do a very gentle hatha style yoga. It caught me off guard and while my teacher insisted that it was a good thing and beautiful I didn't really believe her until I did my own research. Because I was caught off guard I am pretty certain I did not release whatever it was fully. What suggestions do you have to support a full cry release in the presence and under expectations of others?

[lunamegn]

What suggestions do you have to support a full cry release in the presence and under expectations of others?

That's a really hard questions because we are all so different. I know of people experiencing different emotions during a yoga practice - especially the hip opening postures. Maybe try to remember that when you are in a yoga class you are in a supportive environment. Yoga teachers know to expect this - it isn't going to weird them out and they will support you. It's something I always tell my students. If you feel it, experience and let it go. Now you know it's okay, you can give *yourself* permission to release that.

I tend to experience amazing feelings of love wash over me, but I've never cried.

[LCBMAX]

I weep at every yoga class I go to! (quietly)
(and not once during prenatal yoga... hmmm.)
For this reason, I am very particular about my teachers, and only stay in classes where I can trust the teacher to guide me skillfully. I figure, if my fellow yogis in the class get wierded out, or have a judgement, well - that's their yoga practice. And the teacher can help them out too, but I'm not on duty for taking care of them.

[MAMom]

It's happened to me a few times during hot yoga, but there is loud-ish music, so no one can hear. Totally cathartic though for me, and the teacher was amazing and supportive when I approached her after class the first time I found myself so emotional.