Yoga as a Spiritual Practice - Thread for Yoginiis of all faiths and those interested :) - Page 2

[eastkygal]

How is everyone? I'm plugging through. I'm having some health issues and feeling kind of disconnected spiritually. But, I continue to practice as usual and do my best, or try to just be in other words.
I'm wondering if anyone has a DVD recommendation. I have been doing Baron Baptiste the Initial Challenge for sometime now. I'm ready to move to something new, but I'd like something that is as core centered as this practice. I'm also working on my heart chakra, and blockages leading to that. I'm thinking an Anusara practice would be appropriate, but I'm not as familiar with that style as Vinyasa. Shiva Rea moves too quick for me in Sun Salutations and I feel rushed through the poses. I need something I little more still until I can connect with my inner self on a deeper level. Any suggestions?

[accountclosed3]

i would suggest doing the baptiste video for a bit without having the video on. just write out the postures and then do them in silence. this will help with connecting. then, when you want to try something new, go to the library (or use netflix) and see what they have. they usually have a TON of different videos, and it's no expense, really, for you to try them.

for my own part, i'm doing well. the studio is going fairly well, our promotion brought in a lot of people, and we got the expected drop off of students when we went to the regular price. so, we are seeing--daily--1/5 the students we saw at the promo, but that is what we expected AND it is still growing.

we are working on family programming and meditation programming, and also expanding into pilates, qi gong, and feldenkrais classes as well.

for family programming, i'm looking toward offering weekly classes in prenatal, post natal, and family yoga (for preschool aged kids and caregivers). monthly, i'd like to offer a family kirtan and also a family meditation group. i've written about the meditation group in other threads.

i'd like to get these things rolled out for October. start marketing them over the next six weeks. hopefully, we can get things up and running soon.

so, i'm busy with that side of my practice, plus teaching 7 times a week, which is 3 more times than i wanted. LOL but, it will do.

[Tuesday]

eastkygal - I am completely in love with the kundalini yoga of Ravi & Ana and have almost every workout they've produced.

www.raviana.com I've lost about 25 pounds since doing the yoga and feel so much better connected with my self. I have had a lot of health issues and my feet have been destroyed from arthritis so running or even walking has been an issue for me. This Kundalini yoga works my heart and body and my soul - I love it. Their Meditation dvd is wonderful - even if you don't enjoy breath of firing breathing or the kundalini yoga poses - you can benefit from the Meditation exercises.

Any questions, PM me!

[eastkygal]

Originally Posted by Tuesday

eastkygal - I am completely in love with the kundalini yoga of Ravi & Ana and have almost every workout they've produced.

www.raviana.com I've lost about 25 pounds since doing the yoga and feel so much better connected with my self. I have had a lot of health issues and my feet have been destroyed from arthritis so running or even walking has been an issue for me. This Kundalini yoga works my heart and body and my soul - I love it. Their Meditation dvd is wonderful - even if you don't enjoy breath of firing breathing or the kundalini yoga poses - you can benefit from the Meditation exercises.

Any questions, PM me!

I started practicing Kundalini yoga on a regular basis June 2009 as my only form of yoga practice. I went on this way for over 6 months. I used Gurumukh Kaur Khalsa's book and DVD and one of Maya Fiennes DVDs. I have seen the Ravi and Ana DVDs too, but have never tried one. I ended up hurting myself though. I gave myself whiplash and over-extended my knees. Can you believe that? I thought that I might ought to stick to Hatha since that is what I know, and there are teachers available locally when I need them.
I truly love Kundalini yoga and would like to go back to exploring the practice again. I'm just nervous about it a bit. Are the Ravi and Ana DVDs ones that you can follow without hurting yourself?
Yoga too has been a life changing practice for me. I have lost 100 pounds, and I have a more fit body then I did when I was a high school athlete. I am loving the spiritual practice and it is my prayer time as well. My time to just be with God, though my mind is ever racing because of my health problems. Adrenals, thyroid, low blood sugar, and anxiety - that combo really makes for a mind that is never still or is foggy.
I've been thinking about the RAvi and Ana. I might just do that.

[eastkygal]

Originally Posted by zoebird

i would suggest doing the baptiste video for a bit without having the video on. just write out the postures and then do them in silence. this will help with connecting. then, when you want to try something new, go to the library (or use netflix) and see what they have. they usually have a TON of different videos, and it's no expense, really, for you to try them.

for my own part, i'm doing well. the studio is going fairly well, our promotion brought in a lot of people, and we got the expected drop off of students when we went to the regular price. so, we are seeing--daily--1/5 the students we saw at the promo, but that is what we expected AND it is still growing.

we are working on family programming and meditation programming, and also expanding into pilates, qi gong, and feldenkrais classes as well.

for family programming, i'm looking toward offering weekly classes in prenatal, post natal, and family yoga (for preschool aged kids and caregivers). monthly, i'd like to offer a family kirtan and also a family meditation group. i've written about the meditation group in other threads.

i'd like to get these things rolled out for October. start marketing them over the next six weeks. hopefully, we can get things up and running soon.

so, i'm busy with that side of my practice, plus teaching 7 times a week, which is 3 more times than i wanted. LOL but, it will do.

I have done it too without the DVD and I have actually taught the sequence in a class with some additions. I think I'm ready for more advanced asanas, then that sequence gives. More balancing. The only balancing pose is Half Moon in that sequence and standing forward split.

Wow! It does sound like you are busy, but also that you have a lovely studio line up. I'd love to visit.

[accountclosed3]

i think it's hard to find more advanced videos, to be honest.

your best bet would be Ana Forrest, but i don't know if she has any videos.

or just use a book.

[hollytheteacher]

Hi! I'm new to this thread, but just wanted to pop over and check it out.

I used to do Yoga back in highschool (we could do it and it would count as gym).

Then I never had a chance to do it again for whatever reasons (time, money, etc.). Now that i'm pregnant with number 2, I decided to make it a priority for two reasons: exercise and for time to myself to focus on my body and the baby and our connection together.

Anyway, it has exceeded my expectations in terms of how fulfilling it is!! It really is a form of spirituality all of it's own for me. Okay, now i'll go back and read some posts in this thread and hopefully get to know you all a little

[Tuesday]

Originally Posted by eastkygal

are the Ravi and Ana DVDs ones that you can follow without hurting yourself?
.

I own most of the Ravi & Ana dvds. I also do traditional hatha yoga and am seeing a private teacher to help me with poses such as shoulder stand and plough, camel (I want to make sure I'm doing these things correctly). The difficult/tricky poses I see in Ravi & Ana workouts are the same I'd find in raditional hatha yoga videos (shoulder stand, wheel, camel). So, I think your instincts to seek out a teacher to help with form are good.

I haven't hurt myself using any Ravi & Ana workouts. My thought is you likely attempted a pose and it was done unsafely - it's not the video - it's your form, if you know what I mean. They don't do a lot of cueing though which is why falling back your hatha experience and teachers is a good idea.

They recently put out a 2010 release called Solar Power which is lovely! The workout has a lot of interesting chapters which work well together or separately and the mantras are good as well. Some of the music is quite beautiful too. Yoga Beauty Body is an older release and has more traditional hatha poses in it.