The other day we came across this blog on the Yoga Journal’s website that struck resonance with us. The author, Sadie Nardini, talks about how important it is to listen to your body and do what feels right rather than struggle and force yourself into the "right pose". I believe that purpose of yoga is to make you feel good so I wanted to share this blog with you:

"This weekend, I’m leading a three-day Core Strength Immersion in New York City. After writing my post about respecting limitations while still seeking transformation, I decided to make a public statement, not only to the 60 students in the room, but all the future yogis who will watch the Immersion (it’s being filmed): Let your poses be imperfect.

That’s right; I’ve hit a tipping point in my teaching where I am becoming much more interested in what a student can do to be more honestly themself in a pose, and I care much less how straight they can get their front leg in Triangle.

For an instructor who doubles as an anatomy geek, it may seem unusual to hear me say this, yet nothing could be more my style. Symmetry, or perfection as we sometimes think of it (the "perfect" body, relationship, or handstand), is what you get in a office building, with its level surfaces and, straight lines.

Balance, on the other hand, is what nature does, and it’s wild and free, yet comes to find its own equilibrium after all. Think of a river, which meanders here and there but ultimately reaches its source.  

In your yoga poses, and your life–have you been remaining sensitive to your state of balance, or straining for symmetry? If it’s the latter, this may help give you perspective:

There is not one thing in the human body that runs in a straight line. Our bones, blood, and breath all move in a spiral motion. Our nerves, spine, brain, joints, GItract? Not linear either.

Yet so often, we strive to attain linear poses that our bodies are not made to reach. We want to be in alignment in a way that’s healthy and balanced, but it’s easy to let symmetry-seeking creep into the process. The end result can be a hardening of the outer body, layering on more and more  tension as we try to grip and force ourselves into pre-conceived geometry.

Instead, there is a way of balancing this sthira (strength) with sukha (ease). A way to allow our spinning, waving, spiraling selves to soften enough to find the true edge, dissolve areas of tension, and still move forward into what is our unique optimal alignment.

I speak from experience, because I used to be militant about doing every pose "right." In my quest for the perfect body on and off the mat, I developed an eating disorder as well as a ton of yoga-related repetitive stress injuries. Along the way, I did reach my goal of handstand without the wall. What I did not attain, however, was any sort of happiness or joy. Therefore, in my opinion, I wasn’t practicing yoga at all, but dukha, or suffering. A focus on perfection will always circle back to the big D.

Later in life and yoga, I got so sick (literally) of forcing myself into a box, that I began to seek out studios and teachers who advocated mindful, individual adaptation over form. I noticed that most of these teachers were over 40, many of them much older. Their physical asanas were very different than mine, yet the message is so freeing: Take this practice, poses, lessons and all, and make it yours, without apology or regret.

Approaching 40 myself, I can tell you that a relaxation occurs after a certain amount of time struggling and failing to reach absolute symmetry. You see it in the attitudes of certain grandparents, and it shows up in the practices of longtime yogis.  The amazing thing is, once I let go of my quest for the unattainable, many of the poses, like the hovering jump-forward that I could never before master, became available to me.

Yoga, ultimately is a path of personal transformation, not perfection. Reclaiming this aspect of your practice gets you into direct connection with your core, and asks that you express your truth to the world in the way that’s best for you. When we remember that our growth and spiritual awakening happens only to the extent we can get present, get close to our inner nature, and take actions from integrity–none of which have a thing to do with a false ideal of perfection–life becomes wildly, strangely, perfect after all.

Sometimes, I feel like anything not on the the mat is forbidden territory–or "hot lava," as we called it in my childhood. Yet venturing outside the rectangle can be just what you need to find pockets of tension, and then move and breathe to release them."

If this blog inspires you I would recommend trying Sofiah Thom’s class "Bamboo Yoga". It is a class for those who dare to get of their mats and listen to what their body tells them. Bamboo Yoga is a Vinyasa flow fusion class designed to connect you with your breath, body and creative spirit. Please view our schedule for dates and times.

I have been practicing yoga for a while now and when I first heard of Shinade’s Yoga Bliss, Feel Good Yoga, the sarcastic side of me thought "isn’t that redundant?  isn’t all yoga supposed to make you feel good?" And right there I knew that I had answered my own question.  Yes, all Yoga should make you feel good, but if you’re like me I’m sure you’ve had classes that haven’t. 

Through the years, the more mainstream yoga becomes, more people call themselves "yoga teachers" and sadly give people the wrong impression and people can end up having bad yoga experiences.  The first time I ever went to a class, there was such a weird and creepy vibe to the whole feel of the "class" that I didn’t venture out to try another class till two years later and had gained the common sense to get some recommendations about the person giving the class before I went. 

So here is mine, after experiencing Shinade’s class on Monday I can truly attest that I felt good afterwards.  Better than feeling good, her class truly was full on yogi bliss!  Shinade guides you through a lovely warm, asanas, flows, it is obvious that the gal clearly knows what she is doing. 

This Sunday she is having a four hour class and I really recommend you treat yourself to her Feel Good Yoga.

Laura

Yesterday I read an article in the New York times about Charles Darwin, one of the greatest minds of our time, in my opinion.  The article mentioned that Darwin suffered  from depression, and he utilized his work to escape from it.  “Work is the only thing which makes life endurable to me,” Darwin wrote and later remarked that it was his “sole enjoyment in life.”  This has stuck with me all day, and has me thinking: well, what am I grateful for in my life? 

Many things.  I am grateful that I live in Dominical, and not some traffic-smog-crazed city.  I am grateful for my little social support group that love and understand me just the way I am.  I am grateful for my darling handsome husband.  I am grateful for my dog, my crazy spirited bull terrier that reminds me every day to live in the moment and not take myself so seriously.  I am grateful for working in Bamboo YogaPlay.  I wouldn’t go as far as say that is is my sole enjoyment in life, but I do love my job.  I get to meet new interesting people everyday.  I am the small talk queen. 

One of the things I love most of my job is the yoga class during work hours policy that we have.  To have the opportunity to deepen your practice in this gorgeous bamboo studio with many different yet equally gifted teachers is amazing.  A truly wonderful job perk!

So my question is, what are you grateful for?  Have you found that thing, or things, in life that bring you enjoyment?  I sincerely hope you have, and if you’re looking maybe you’ll find your answers in one of our yoga classes.  Look for me, I’m the one with the grateful smile on my face.

Laura

One of my favorite places to practice yoga in Costa Rica is Bamboo YogaPlay, in Dominical. Dominical is a sleepy surf town on the Pacific Coast, where the luscious jungle meets the ocean. Developed by Brendan Jaffer and Sofiah Jaffer Thom, Bamboo is a new ‘sanctuary for living artfully’ nestled just off the dusty road, in tropical paradise. This eco-friendly yoga studio is built above shipping container construction living units. With gorgeous bamboo floors and bamboo walls on 3 sides, the open-air studio overlooks the Baru river and jungle foliage as well as the nearby ocean. Practicing on eco-friendly yoga mats with a full view of the jungle feels so good! After class, feel free to lounge on the Balinese sofa, get a massage or acupuncture treatment, shower in the private outdoor shower (also made from Bamboo), or shop in the air-conditioned Bambootique, for organic and –yes, you guessed it: Bamboo fiber—yoga clothes and street ware, hand-crafted tribal jewelry, locally made healing salves, and Buddhist adornments. A truly holistic experience of wellness, with a loving touch of high-end artistry and full immersion in the natural beauty of Costa Rica, makes Bamboo Yoga Play my favorite place to take a savasana and come restore my batteries while I am in Costa Rica.  For more info. On Bamboo Yoga Play, please visit: www.bambooyogaplay.com.

Debra Rubin, MA, CMT, RYT

Founder of SattyaBody Healing Arts & Dance, empowering women’s health through Holistic Health Counseling, Yoga, & Tribal Fusion Belly Dance,
is based in San Francisco, CA.

www.sattyabody.com

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We are looking for talented and seasoned Yoga teachers and Massage therapists to come and work with us here in Paradise at Bamboo YogaPlay this high season.

The season goes from December through April.    If you are interested in this opportunity please send Sofiah Thom your letter of interest, resume and references to info@bambooyogaplay.com