Please enjoy this entry from our guest blogger, Derrick. He is currently taking yoga teacher training with the Maritime Yoga College.
Week 10 - March 28th & 29th: You might wonder what we yoga-teachers-in-training do during our education when we are not directly deepening our practice in an asana or discussing yogic philosophy and classroom dynamics. Thus far on our journey we have also learned about holistic nutrition, the many branches of yoga practiced around the world, and the ethical codes that underly many traditions. During our training over this past weekend we had the unique opportunity to learn about our energy system and participate in chakra-healing workshops! The chakras describe energy centres that can be located (energetically) throughout the body. There are seven major chakras that are found along the length of the spine, the root chakra being at the base of our spinal column and the crown chakra being at the crown of our head and the other 5 in between. These chakras can be activated through many different modalities, sound being one of them. The chakras govern our energy bodies and influence our more physical layers through the glandular systems of the body. When we are stressed our energy is compromised and thus our health. However, when we are restful and calm, or in a state of play, our energy is restored and our overall health is improved. The asanas, and the physical practice of yoga, are an effective means of activating and balancing the chakras. The food we eat also effects our energy system. So too, does sound. The first workshop was dedicated to the lower three chakras; starting at the base of the spine is the root chakra, second is the sacral chakra, and third is the solar plexus. These chakras are more aligned with our physical bodies and our individual existence, such as our sense of security and of being grounded, our feelings and moods, and our passions and inner-fire. We used the sound of drums, and the experience of drumming, to connect to these chakras. The vibrations were intended to stimulate the chakras and to allow for the balancing of the energy system. The second workshop introduced the vibrations produced by flutes, chimes, and quartz crystal singing bowls to stimulate the higher 4 chakras; the heart chakra, throat chakra, third-eye chakra, and crown chakra. These chakras are more associated with our relations to the world around us and our connection to the web-of-life and higher dimensions. After completing both these workshops the overwhelming sense of being grounded and connected was undeniable. The impact of these experiences are multilayered and often difficult to describe. The effects are not always tangible and yet there is an unmistakable shift in your overall wellbeing after such an experience. Although the chakra system is a well established component of Eastern medicine the West has been slow to adopt this time-tested wisdom, but today the two are becoming increasingly blended. Western science has come to understand that all things are composed of vibrations, thus ‘vibrational therapy’ is becoming more mainstream. This is how sound stimulates, activates, and balances the chakras - through vibrations. As we come to understand our energy bodies we are better equipped to take direction over our health and well-being as we address the underlying causes of our physical bodies on the dynamic dimensions of our existence. Knowledge is power and experiences produce tools and skills that can be utilized when needed.
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![]() Please enjoy this entry from our guest blogger, Derrick. He is currently taking yoga teacher training with the Maritime Yoga College. Week 9 - March 21st & 22nd: Through my experience with the Maritime Yoga Teacher Training I have developed a more dynamic yoga practice. During each week of training I have found that we gain more confidence in our ability to teach and expand our potential to hold space. I have also noticed that with each week of training our instructors have continuously opened our awareness to the many layers of experience that is available to us, beyond just the positioning of our bodies in the asanas. It is through teacher training that we have been assisted in fostering a dimensionality in the asanas and been given the conceptual tools to find balance. It is standard that at beginning of any yoga class to have some sort of pranayama - or breathing exercise to increase life force. The breath is the most essential source of life energy, it is the fundamental point of departure for any and all activity we participate in. From the opening breathing exercise we begin to move, to stretch, and to strengthen. The next tool that assists us find balance is the engagement of the muscles to contain energy. Then we activate the muscular energy loops that are a part of our make-up. Each time we work in the studio we are developing a more intimate knowledge of our bodies and we help each other find our natural synergy. Once we find this stable foundation i.e., of conscious-breathing, engagement of muscular energy and the energetic loops, we can then find our expression of the asana. Expression is the controlled outward flow of our life energy - it is what makes a simple physical posture become a vibrant and radiant asana. With these tools of balance we develop a more dynamic and empowering yoga practice. Although I have attended many yoga classes over the past couple years it has been with this teacher training program that my practice has taken on the dimensions that are assisting my growth and actualization of my fullest potential. Please enjoy this entry from our guest blogger, Derrick. He is currently taking yoga teacher training with the Maritime Yoga College.
Week 8 - March 8th: During the Maritime Yoga teacher training this past weekend we explored some back-beding asanas. Back bends encourage the chest to lift, expand and broaden across - effectively 'opening the heart'. During back bends the front body stretches as the muscles of the back strengthen and the internal organs are massaged by the movement of the body, which enriches the circulation of blood. Energetically, back bends bring awareness to the heart and create a sense of freedom from fear by cultivating courage and acceptance. We also had the opportunity to partner-up and assist in the 'lifting' sensation of the backbend, allowing our partner in the asana to experience a sense of lightness as they lifted their chest, thanks to the support of us holding them. This provided the opportunity for us as teachers in training to not only to explore greater potential in our back-bending asanas but also to cultivate courage and build trust in each other. These experiences we generate through our yoga practice on the mat are carried with us throughout our lives. Living ones life with an open heart requires solid foundations. Similarly as in the back-bending asanas, we need have solid roots by engaging the core of our body and grounding into the Earth. This gives us the strength and stability in order to expand and reach towards our fullest potential. Living with an open heart is to live passionately, vulnerability, and with a sense of trust in those around us and the universe in which we exist. Namaste. ![]() Please enjoy this entry from our guest blogger, Derrick. He is currently taking yoga teacher training with the Maritime Yoga College. Week 7 - March 1st: Our frameworks, or the beliefs that structure our perception and cognition, influence how we experience the world. Our frameworks are given to us through our conditioning and we are able to rearrange our frameworks through reflection and contemplation, and can create new ones! Today I would like to look at how we frame balancing. :) Balance is often represented as a scale coming into equilibrium, and our noun-based language frames balance as a static state. Through my practice of yoga and integration of yoga philosophy into my life I have come to understand balance as a constant play, as a negotiation, as a practice of readjusting and maintaining optimal efficiency. Our focus over the past weekend in our Yoga-Teacher-Training was on balancing poses. When you come into a balancing pose you are increasing the strength and stability of the body, as well as focus and concentration of the mind. When you come into a balancing pose you are not locking the body into a static position like statue, but rather are engaging the strength of the mind and body to ground into the Earth and lift up towards the sky. A great mantra to assist in your balancing poses is with each inhale, draw energy up through your body and as you exhale, ground energy down through your body, just like a tree is rooted and lifting at the same time. When you are balancing you are incredibly present in the moment, and as your mind wanders so does your focus - and thus your balance. When you hold a balancing pose you will have moments where you settle into the posture and feel a rush of peace and power, but your balance may shift and you will have to readjust and settle again. This play involved in balancing poses is analogous to the balance we seek in our lives. It is a constant negotiation of time and space, of activity and rest. The framework I have adopted is that balance is not so much a static state as it is a practice. Rather than being 'balanced' I am balancing. |
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May 2017
Samantha Sambrooke
Director of Teacher Training for the Maritime Yoga College and Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Categories
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