Mid-Term
Project and Presentation: Laura Douglass Yoga; Theories, Culture and Practice
Lesley University
Open
Meadow Zen, Lexington, MA
DRU,
Restorative and Pre-Natal Yoga: Energy in Motion with Regine Detremmerie-Carr
February 29, 2012
I
chose to take classes with Regine Detremmetrie-Carr of Great Brook Yoga at Open
Meadow Zen Studio on Marrett Road in Lexington, Massachusetts. I discovered this Zen studio when one of my
friends asked me to practice this form of yoga with her following a DRU yoga
retreat at the Arlington Center. There is no advertising or marketing for Open
Meadow Zen studio and no train service to Lexington, therefore the people
served by this beautiful location are those fortunate enough to have a car and
know of such an intimate spot for yoga. My
interest in the practice and study of yoga is as a complement to medical
treatment for the relief of chronic pain and elimination of diseases. There is no affiliation to a hospital with
this yoga practice, however, Regine has spent years teaching yoga for pregnancy
and childbirth. She has also used DRU
yoga practice in her own recovery from breast cancer.
DRU
and Restorative Yoga became interesting to me after reading about yogic energy in
the Practical Yoga Psychology
(Vivekananda, 2005) and from your course lesson on kosha. The body/energy/mind
dimensions of human existence from the yogic point of view are divided into
five parts known as kosha in Sanskrit
meaning sheath. Vivekananda (2005) describes these five kosha: “beginning with the physical body
(Annamaya), next to the energy body
(Pranamaya), then the mental body (Manomaya), the wisdom body (Vijnanamaya) and
the finest level, the bliss body (Anandamaya)” (p. 25). The yoga classes that I
attend explore this prana energy with
motion for soothing and calming restlessness, anxiety and pain from the core of
the body.
The word “Yoga” means “yoke” in Sanskrit and
implies a harnessing together and a unifying of body and mind (Kabat-Zinn, 2010).
My training as a teacher of MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) has
primarily focused on mindful yoga. Jon
Kabat- Zinn describes mindful yoga as meditation in motion while maintaining moment
to moment awareness. It includes not striving to get somewhere, just allowing
yourself to be as you are, and letting go of any judging of yourself. This form of Hatha yoga consists of postures done mindfully, with an awareness
of breathing and extremely gentle movements.
For me, the Hatha yoga study
and practice, both in class and with Regine, has added to this awareness a
discovery of energy flow and potential blockages, primarily stretching my
flexibility in body and thoughts.
When
I first tried to find Open Meadow, I must have passed the dirt road several
times before driving down to enter the serene house of Zen surrounded by acres
of conservation land. There was just a row of shoes and no way of knowing which
stairway or door to enter to find the Yoga studio. There is a library filled
with books and a community kitchen, a still yet welcoming atmosphere. There is
an open spirit that I recognized similar to the Zen house that my teacher at
the Center for Mindfulness lived in with her family. The Open Meadow Zen Studio
follows the Korean Zen tradition taught by the Kwan Um School of Zen. Dharma teachings from this school describe
that the breath should breathe you; similar to the way that the environment
feels when you are present in it, relaxed, natural and quiet. The Zen
surroundings and feeling of community at Open Meadow impact the practice of DRU
and Restorative Yoga.
When
I picture “Zen,” Open Meadow Studio is the picturesque scene that comes to
mind. There are large windows with the
sun shining in, a large stained glass picture of Quan Yin, “mother of
compassion,” overlooking willow trees, a huge open meadow, and a bubbling carp
pool. There is a porch for outdoor yoga practice, with a bird feeder visited by
cardinals and rare yellow birds. I
asked Regine (personal communication, February 25, 2012) why she chose Open
Meadow Zen to teach DRU and Restorative Yoga. One of her reasons was the
capacity to work with the energy of nature, both indoors and outdoors. There are times when yoga takes a person to
serious emotions even tears, so Regine begins by warming up and sweating the
body to free the mind for the hour and half practice with expressive dance to
lively cultural music.
In
Regine’s yoga practice, nature is integrated into the postures for each season
with flowing sequence. Students tune into what postures work best for their
body. Weather and planets, like the full moon sequences and sun salutations,
have impact on the flowing sequences. Spring postures incorporate flowing
spinal twists for the cleaning process and easing liver functions and digestion,
including an understanding of diet and nutrition. Summertime is the time when
all body parts are used in a balanced way, with playfulness, creativity and
cooling. Regine takes yoga classes outside in the summer, where students can
lie down and feel their backs cooled by the earth below, under the willow
trees. Early winter is a time of
introspection and gratitude, particularly in the months of November and December. Bending forward, bows and gestures inward are
the dominant postures during this season. The first months of the New Year,
when it is coldest, include an effort to energize with postures like backbends.
Fall is the time of bounty, lending to standing postures for feeling grounded
and rooted to the Earth.
Regine
is a native of Belgium. She began by
teaching classes in macrobiotic cooking, studied Iyengar Yoga with intensive immersion, and then became a student of
Vipassana meditation. Inspired by the
natural childbirth of her daughter, Regine added a focus on the work of Janet
Balaskas for yoga to prepare for birth and motherhood. She also became
certified in pranic (energy) healing
under Grand Master Choa Kok Sui. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in
2000, Regine discovered the healing power of DRU yoga and completed the
four-year teacher-training program in Wales (Detremmerie-Carr, 2012). When I
spoke with Regine on February 25, 2012, about what led to her teaching DRU
yoga, she said that it was a progression of studying natural healing modalities
including pranic healing, restorative yoga, prenatal yoga and nutrition.
DRU Yoga is unique as a graceful form of yoga
based on flowing movements, directed breathing and visualizations. Two decades ago, a small group of idealistic Welsh
university students sought to change the world through yogic practice, and the
teachings have grown internationally from Canada to Australia (Dru Worldwide,
2012). The letters DRU come from the Sanskrit word, dhruva which refers to stillness. DRU Yoga is based in ancient
yogic traditions to improve strength, flexibility and rejuvenation of the whole
being--body, mind and spirit. The therapeutic approach works on the healthy
movement of the spine to reduce back pain, increase energy levels, improve
breathing, encourage emotional balance, and overcome negative thinking.
The
chanting that we practice in Laura Douglass’ class raised my curiosity about
what sound, toning, chanting and mantras do physiologically to help restore the
body and mind. I experienced this occurring in Regine’s class, as well. She
guided us in poses to strengthen the upper body, breathing the vertebra up and
toning with the letters “F- exhalation releasing tension on the spine” and “V-
exhalation releasing tension in the jaw.”
DRU
sound works to put cells back in harmony and restore balance with our inner and
outer world frequency (Dru Worldwide, 2012). The practice of DRU sound can
bring into balance the body and harmonize our inner vibration frequency in
stillness. Every atom, electron, proton and neutron in our bodies is carrying
an electrical charge. The energy created by these billions of little charges,
in turn creates a vibration frequency or sound- every organ tissue, muscle and
bone emit sound. Uncontrollable noises from modern technology and electronic
pollution can potentially disrupt our inner balance. Practices in toning,
chanting, verbal affirmation and mantras can be used in yoga to become in tune,
inside and outside our bodies.
Restorative
Yoga involves passive stretching of the entire body, while the body is
supported by pillows, bolsters, blankets and other props. The spine and organs
are alternately stimulated, supported and soothed in guided restorative
postures. The poses range from forward bends, backbends and gentle spinal
twists, some for the overall body to poses for specific areas. Restorative
poses often focus in these areas of the body; chest, supporting heart and
lungs, abdominal cavity, assisting the abdominal organ systems, legs, movement
of blood and fluids by changing the legs relationship to gravity. This passive
yoga practice helps address ailments like high blood pressure, migraines,
digestive issues, immune system support, nervousness, insomnia. Restorative Yoga is taught in a separate class
by Regine but postures are included in the teachings of DRU yoga (personal
communication, February 25, 2012). The
experience of the calming place that I go in deep meditation with my mind is
equal in the body to me with restorative yoga. The body deeply rests and
revitalizes as the mind does in meditation, in contrast to the rest of sleep.
In addition to DRU yoga and Restorative
Yoga, Regine has working for decades as a yoga teacher for pregnancy and
natural childbirth. Her teachings incorporate the extensive trainings listed in
her background (Detremmerie-Carr, 2012) and are primarily based on primitive
cultural birthing. Regine finds a trend today
of about 80% of women who chose to receive drugs for labor. The yoga and energy
practice she teaches focuses on the mother’s physical and emotional experiences
that accompany changes in pregnancy. Her teaching views the attitude of consciousness
versus sleepiness. Learning includes
poses that alleviate pain and discomfort, simple breathing techniques for birth
and labor, sound and vocalization techniques and visualizations. The weekly
pre-natal yoga teaching is nurturing for building a trusting relationship with
student and teacher similar to that of a doula in childbirth. Yoga class is a place
to share concerns about pregnancy, feelings, anxiety and to release tensions in
the body being held physically and mentally.
Dru
Yoga taught by Regine at Open Meadow Zen studios works with patterns,
challenges and energy blockages on the muscular skeletal physiological, emotional
and mental levels. The connection with nature and the nurturing guided
movements of the DRU and Restorative Yoga practices taught by Regine help to
open and clear an awareness of where energy is flowing. Open Meadows Zen is a
spot in Lexington, with a touch of Korea, a hidden gem out of the mainstream of
city Power Yoga studios. Students in
these classes, offered at 10:30 on Fridays, tend to be women, middle to upper
class, generally over forty years old interested in a healthy holistic
lifestyle. The environment of Open
Meadow Zen and Regine’s clarity seen through her electric blue eyes and flowing
movements represents not just lessons in Yoga. She lives the practice.
My
focus of study is in the therapeutic modalities for working with chronic pain
including pains in pregnancy. Swami
Multibodhananda (1998) believes through the practice of Hatha Yoga, one’s entire being is made fit and strong, as a shelter
from the effects of the pains which come with life. According to Hindu symbols
it is the tortoise that represents patient endurance. The tortoise can extend
limbs or retreat into the protection of the hard covering when threatened. (p35).
The practice of DRU and Restorative Yoga requires patient endurance, a
combination of DRU yoga for extending the limbs and restorative yoga for
retreating and protecting.
Detremmerie-Carr,
Regine. (2012). Regine’s Personal Journey with Movement and Health. Retrieved from
http://www.greatbrookyoga.com/about/
The
Kwan Um School of Zen
[Brochure]. Cumberland, RI.
Muktibodhananda,
Swami. (1998). Hatha Yoga Pradipka: Light
on Hatha Yoga. Munger, Bihar, India:
Yoga Publications Trust.
Vivekananda,
Rishi. (2005). Practical Yoga Psychology. Munger, Bihar, India: Yoga Publications
Trust.
What
is Dru Yoga? (2012). Retrieved February
25, 2012 from http://www.druworldwide.com/yoga/what_is_dru_yoga
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