Kundalini Yoga at Karma Yoga Center
By: Carly Dresselhaus
My first experience, a couple years ago, at Karma Yoga Studio in Cambridge did not involve yoga. I was told by a friend that it was a great café for someone like me who is really interested in the traditional aspects and lifestyle of tea-drinking. Their tea is all loose-leaf and fair-trade, mostly organic. And their presentation and atmosphere is Zen-inspired. I had a great tea experience there in the sunny lounge and wanted to return anyway. So with the motivation of broadening my yoga experience, I figured since I had a good experience in their café that it would be safe to assume that their yoga studio classes would be just as satisfactory.
I knew what to expect atmosphere-wise, but I still explored the place a little before the class, saw the beautiful and impeccably clean bathroom and locker-room, the huge mirrors and the antique rugs, the lovely watercolor circle paintings on the walls. I don’t know what other yoga centers are like, but even though Karma has an earthy feel to it, I feel that more traditional centers would be a lot less concerned with interior design. Never-the-less it was an aesthetically pleasing place. The classroom itself had beautiful wood floors and thick glass windows that let the morning sunlight infuse the studio.
Karma Yoga offers so many varieties of yoga, some of which I had never heard of such as Forrest, Physioyoga, and Elemental Yoga, which seem to have been tailor-made here in the USA, more specifically at Karma Yoga. On their website they stated ”no assembly-line Mcyoga”. Though I trust that their variations would be OK to try, I wanted to try a more traditional and historically rooted form of yoga, and as a creative person and one who believes in compassion and that by emanating positive energy one can positively influence those around you even if just a little, I have always been drawn to the philosophy of Kundalini Yoga but knew very little about it.
A little history of Kundalini: It was popularized in western culture by yogi bhajhan, ph.d, who revealed it because of his belief that it is everyone’s birthright to be happy and healthy. Kundalini is a fairly comprehensive form of yoga, as it incorporates asanas, pranayama, meditation and prayer. The movements are not difficult postures but fluid repetitive movements that stimulate the circulatory system and loosen the spine. Though it is a more spiritual practice than other forms, it is not religious. Some reading I found online bordered on new age, and mentioned a “mother goddess” in relation to kundalini, but for the most part, it was spoken of as an ancient science.
The instructor, Shelly conducted the class very gently, without pushing on us any new age goddess theories, but spoke of beauty and love and internal energy.
I read up on Shelly on Karma’s informative and beautifully designed website.
“Shelley Loheed / Sahaj Kaur received her certification as a Kundalini Yoga Teacher in 2000. She brings a deep love of yoga and 17 years of experience in studying both Hatha and Kundalini yoga. She is currently assisting with the Kundalini Yoga Teacher training in Millis, MA. She has been teaching yoga classes in Cambridge and Boston for the last 8 years. Her classes are open to all, both beginners and advanced, and are powerful and dynamic.”
She has her own website (http://www.shelleyloheed.com), and I found it interesting that she was raised in Indiana where I was born and raised, and she teaches yoga and meditation to artists. She herself is an artist and does beautiful improvisational drawings and paintings. As an art student, I am now interested in speaking to her about this and wish I had known sooner.
Shelly was dressed in pale clothing and legwarmers and wore on her head a traditional white turban indicative of a kundalini devotee. There were about seven others in the room, two men, the others women, most seemingly early 30s to 50, white, as I noted. Everyone kept to themselves mostly, perhaps because it was early morning, but perhaps for the same reason as I: besides being new to the experience I was also in an introspective state of mind. Molina Indian blankets hand-woven in Mexico were offered. I bought one after class (typical American consumer that I am).
The class began with Shelly giving us a few moments to stretch on our own. The first thing she said was to make sure we took our socks off because of a certain sensitivity of the feet and the necessity of their connection to the ground. She then guided us through a few sun salutations and up-and downward facing dog, even though, as she said, that is not common in kundalini practice. She said herself that she practices vinyasa and other practices of yoga to support her primary focus of kundalini meditation. The practice (consisting mostly of Kriyas, mudras, pranayama and chanting) itself is very vigorous and she said practicing vinyasa yoga helps with that.
After the Asanas we started with a chant “ong, nomo, guru dev nomo” each word having its own tonality. She shared with us that the vibrations of the Sanskrit language elevate the mind to a higher state of consciousness. This answered my question of language. In America very few people understand Hindi or Sanskrit, but not knowing the translation does not seem to be detrimental if it is the vibrational tones of the words that are beneficial. She shared some of the meanings of certain mantras throughout class (sat meaning truth, etc.). She did talk about the importance of chanting in Kundalini yoga. We have to be aware of the things we say because they will manifest themselves. That is something I have always felt to be true and hearing her say it in context made me glad that I experienced kundalini.
Besides chanting, breath is an especially important aspect of Kundalini yoga. Almost every kriya we did involved breath of fire, panting through the nose from the diaphragm. The breath and chanting was incorporated into each movement, or kriya. It began with a series of repetitive, gentle but rapid spinal movements, breathing in one way and out the next powerfully creating a rhythm.
She expressed the importance of precision, maintaining the root lock (drawing in abdomen and sacrum) for stability and remaining grounded and connected to the earth. She kept suggesting we focus on the eyebrow center, keep the heart open, and listening to the body. Be aware whether it is your body or your mind (ego) telling you that a certain movement or activity is too much.
During frog pose my ego was definitely whining. Supposedly in kundalini it is considered that to do 100 of these squat-forward-bend routines while chanting means you are fully alive, 52, half-alive. We did 26, child’s pose, and 26 more. I definitely felt at least half alive, or at least my hips did and they were screaming.
My favorite part was a kriya which was a lifting of the arms and rolling back to a lying down position concentrating on the navel and keeping the feet activated while practicing breath of fire through a rolled tongue. She explained that the metallic taste in the mouth meant the body was detoxifying, which I found fascinating.
I did some researching on kundalini and kriya yoga (kundalini is the philosophy, kriya the act) online and in Hatha Yoga Pradipika. I found a lot on the “kundalini syndrome”, and it seems as if the rising of kundalini can be dangerous and negative symptomatic in some cases where the “subtle body” has blockages or is not strengthened. There are many stories of people experiencing psychosis, though it was when the ascending of kundalini was done unintentionally (near death experiences, birthing, meditation, drugs) or they were not properly prepared to handle the energy that was released. This reinforces the idea of the personal guru who is able to sense when one is ready and to guide one through the kundalini practice. It also made me think again about the necessity of the cleansing techniques to unobstruct the flow of energy through the nadis.
At the end we practiced what seemed like it was going to be yoga nidra only with music. The first time it was only music but this Saturday it was sounds of birds, water, shaken instruments and drums and I think I recall a flute, along with a chanting of lam, in an incredibly low bass voice, and I noticed the sounds to be more earthy and primitive, and as the chanting went on to repeat ram, vam, yam, etc. the tone got softer, the sounds less primitive, and ending with aum that sounded like the wind, with no tone at all. It wasn’t instructed but having done some research on the chakras and kundalini I was aware that each sound corresponded to a different chakra, beginning with the muladharra chakra and ascending. I let my awareness focus on the sound vibration as if I were feeling it in the energy center it corresponded to. I wish now that I had asked Shelley whether that was a good way to practice that meditation.
We ended with sitting in prayer position and listening to a song that went something like “may the long shining sun shine upon you may it guide your way Om…”. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it at first, but the second time I didn’t allow myself to analyze it and just concentrated on the beauty of it. I actually felt tears rising in me. We sat in silence and Shelley asked us to reflect and be grateful to ourselves for bringing ourselves there and to carry the love that we feel with us the rest of the day and throughout the weekend.
I am very glad that I experienced Kundalini and hope to practice it often (though Shelley explained that it was not necessary to practice Kundalini as frequently as other practices). I did feel more open and compassionate, and loving of complete strangers, and I feel like people reacted to me differently all day; I got more positive feedback and had more focused conversations.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Jessica Ellison: Kirtan
Kirtan: In the West
What is Kirtan?
Kirtan is part of Bhakti yoga, which is also known as “the yoga of devotion”, and is now slowly being adapted into the Western Culture for the last decade or so. It is derived from Sankirtan, which is the spiritual practice of communal singing (Bohn, 2008). Kirtan is call and response chanting of Sanskrit mantras along with dancing and the playing of instruments. Some of the instruments used usually include a Harmonium, Tablas, and a Tanpura. The devotional singing of the mantras consist of prayers to the gods as well as the repetitions of the God’s name. Kirtan is not supposed to be a strenuous practice and is for everyone to take part in! There is no right or wrong way to sing or dance to Kirtan and you are not required to sing or dance if you don’t want to, you can just sit quietly. The sounds are designed to resonate within your body/mind to help move the energy up the energy centers (chakras) of the spine (kundalini) and lead us deeper into the core of who we essentially are (Samadhi). By repeating these mantras to oneself, or through chanting them aloud, one can experience greater health, happiness, peace and prosperity (Satchidananda).
History
Unfortunately there is not much information available on the history of Kirtan in the East nor West; However, Vaiyasaki Das says that, “The roots of Kirtan go back over 500 years to Renaissance India. Kirtan reached its highest form of expression in Bengal, located in northeast India. Today in India, Kirtan is accepted as one of the surest paths to enlightenment” (Das, 2007).
It is said that, “Kirtan found its way to the West through one of India’s great gurus from the 20th century Neem Karoli Baba, who instructed one of his students, Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), to return to America and teach” (Shubalananda, 2008).
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti yoga is one of the major branches of yoga. In the process, Bhakti yogis come to see “the Divine in all things,” ultimately achieving a state of nondual consciousness, or Samadhi, in which all of life is recognized as One Absolute Being (Trivieri, Jr., 2001).
Chanting
Chanting is an ancient and universal practice. According to the MacDictionary, chanting is a repeated rhythmic phrase, typically one shouted or sung in unison by a crowd.
“Chanting calms the nerves, purifies the emotions and opens the heart. It elevates the mind, preparing one for silent mantra repetition and meditation… Chanting can be seen as an expression of the yearning of the devotee to commune with the Divine… Chanting done in a devotional manner is transformative; it lifts the emotions and fills the heart with pure love” (Satchidananda).
According to yoga insight, playing chants before or after performing yoga postures has many health benefits – lowering blood pressure, slowing down the heart rate, encouraging the body to produce natural painkillers and much more (Yoga Insight). Because I have titled this paper Kirtan: In the West it wouldn’t make much sense if I didn’t include some scientific conclusion about chanting so according to a Harvard medical school professor, Herbert Benson, “The benefits of chanting recited by scientific research are an increase in oxygen, glucose, and a reduction in carbon dioxide” (Benson, 2005). Another Richard Alpert?... Not quite; however, another source also says that, “listening to mantras directly lowers blood pressure, normalizes heart beat rate, brain wave pattern, adrenalin level, even cholesterol level” (Yogsadhna).
My Kirtan Experience
Walking into The Arlington Center at a quarter to eight p.m. was a little unnerving because there was a few people just sitting there staring at my friend and I (it also might have been the energy from the wall that you immediately walk towards as you open the door, if we’re talking in terms of feng-shui that is). The people sitting there didn’t seem the friendliest but they told us that setting up was still happening and that we could go in. The room had a nice feel to it. It was very open with light wooden floors and white Christmas lights lit the room. They had a plethora of blankets to sit on so everyone grabbed one as they came in and we all sat down in a semi-circle towards the front, facing the band. There were people there from the ages of college students to older adults. We started the night of Kirtan by call and response chanting 3 OMs and saying a prayer for peace (one of the one’s we usually say in our class practice). Then the band started to play their instruments and sing and we had the option of voluntarily singing with them. Eventually some people started to get up dance. The band stopped playing and DJ Mantra Ji took over and started playing well-known Kirtan artists such as Krishna Das. By that time, everyone was dancing. This went on for about 2 hours so in that time people sat down/layed down/sang…anything and everything seemed pretty acceptable. We ended the night of “bliss” by gathering in a circle holding one another and chanting a Sanskrit mantra. They were also very kind and gave us each a rose because it was the night before Valentine’s Day.
There was another free Kirtan class offered on February 20th, 2010 at The Arlington Center, which I really wanted to attend because someone else was hosting it instead of DJ Mantra Ji, so I was curious to see how the two differed. Alas, I had a really intense experience with JourneyDance the day before in my Somatic Movement class and wasn’t really able to physically and mentally attend Kirtan at that point.
The Arlington Center
The center was fairly easy to get to being on the 77 bus line, however, when I needed additional information about the center, getting a hold of the people that work there was not so easy. When I attended Kirtan on the February 13th, I didn’t find there to be helpful staff around to answer my questions. I talked to DJ Mantra Ji after Kirtan was over that night and tried asking him a few questions but he didn’t seem to have the answers I needed and instead was trying to promote himself as an up-and-coming artist. I probably wouldn’t have needed to get a hold of the center if they had some background information on there website such as the history and what not. As a customer, I would like to know what their credentials as a studio are and the fact that they lack this information makes me a little skeptical of who they are. I tried calling them a couple of times and an automatic playback of the center’s schedule comes on and once you listen through it, there is no one there to answer your call. I would have left a message however I thought it would be complicated to ask my questions and receive answers over the phone. Overall the center seemed really well kept but I feel like there is a lack of communication between the staff and customers, which makes me feel like they are almost an impersonal organization.
Why I chose Kirtan
When researching what to do for my midterm, I came across Kirtan and never heard of it before, so I was curious and I Googled it. From that I got the gist that it was yogic chanting and dancing. I really love chanting and my somatic movement class has had a profound impact on my new love of dancing so I was really excited about it. It’s interesting looking back because I originally wanted to have an experience with Bhakti yoga because I was very used to Baptiste’s Power Yoga. I ended up coming across Kirtan, which is part of Bhakti yoga and I look forward to going to many more Kirtan events in the future! It was such a positive experience to be in a room with mostly strangers and to yet feel so free to express myself.
References
Bohn, Martin. (2008, October 18). Kirtan-Devotional Singing. Retrieved February 28,
2010, from http://meditation
-techniques.suite101.com/article.cfm/kirtan_devotional_singing
Das, Vaiyasaki. (2007). History of Kirtan. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from
http://www.kirtan.org/what_is_kirtan.html
Samadhi. (n.d.). Kirtan. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from
http://www.samadhiyogatribe.com/Pages/Community.aspx
Satchidananda, Sri Swami. (n.d.). Integral Yoga Kirtan Booklet. Retrieved on
February 28, 2010, from http://www.shakticom.org/swami-satchidananda/books/integral-yoga-kirtan-booklet/prod_306.html
Shubalananda. (Fall, 2008). Kirtan: Songs of the Soul. Retrieved on February 28,
2010, from http://digital.spiritofchange.org/spiritofchange/2008-fall/?pg=46#pg45
Trivieri, Jr., Larry & The American Holistic Medical Association. (2001). The
American Holistic Medical Association Guide to Holistic Health. New York: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Yoga Insight. (n.d.). Yoga Chants. Retrieved on February 28, 2010 from
http://www.yoga-insight.com/history/yoga-chants.aspx
Yogsadhna. (n.d.). Benefits of Mantra Chanting. Retrieved on February 28, 2010
from, http://www.yogsadhna.com/benefitsofmantra.asp
Monday, March 1, 2010
Mid Term Paper: Restorative Yoga at Soni Yoga Studio
Tory Atkins
Yoga: Theory, Culture, and Practice
Mid-Term Project
March 1, 2010
Restorative Yoga at Soni Yoga Studio
For my Mid-Term project I decided to attend a Restorative Yoga class at Soni Yoga. Soni Yoga is located on Concord Avenue in Cambridge. When choosing a studio to visit, I needed somewhere that was easily accessible due to my busy schedule. I researched yoga studies in the area online and decided to go with Soni Yoga not only because of its location, but also because the website seemed professional and contained a lot of essential and helpful information.
Soni Yoga was started in 2007 by a married couple named Soni and David. According to the website, Soni began practicing yoga before she learned to walk and it has always been a central theme in her life. David, however, did not take part in yoga practice until 9 years ago, but today it is a very important part of his life. Through Soni Yoga, they try to bring the practice of yoga, the belief of living in harmony with nature, and many of the other yogic lifestyles Soni grew up with, to the people living in the Cambridge area (Soni Yoga, n.d.).
The overarching theory that Soni Yoga prescribes to is Ayurveda, which is an ancient way of living or system of healthcare that originated in India 5,000 years ago. By practicing Ayuveda, one can, “restore the balance and harmony of the individual, resulting in self-healing, good health and longevity.” It involves the balance of three doshas, vata (air), pitta (fire), and Kapha (water), in your everyday life (Soni Yoga, n.d.). Much of Ayurveda focuses on living a healthy physical life, which, as I have learned throughout this course, is only one part of living a yogic lifestyle. However, according to Ayurveda, there is no difference between the mind and the body so the practice is links mind and body together at all times. So, instead of just focusing on the mind or the body at one particular time, Ayurveda tries to focus on both at the same time (Ayurveda, 2007).
The main focus of Soni Yoga is Hatha Yoga, which is the most well know and widely accepted practice of yoga in the West. Within the scheme of Hatha yoga however, there are a number of different classes offered. With such a wide range of classes this yoga studio can cater to a wide range of people. The website even says that classes can be built to meet people’s specific needs which can be very helpful for people who have special medical needs or injuries (Soni Yoga, n.d.).
There is a class called Hatha Basics which slows down regular Hatha Yoga to focus more on the breathing. This class is best for beginners and people with injuries. There are also classes called, Hatha, Hatha Flow (which is more challenging), and Yoga Stretch. The Yoga Stretch class is open to all levels and is a more relax practice of yoga. Furthermore, there is a Hatha Yoga class only for women that is based on the teacher’s research done through, “doctors, massage therapists, beauticians, self help and self image consultants, other master yoga teachers, other business women … to construct something I hope is quite special and unique” (Soni Yoga, n.d.).
In addition to the regular Hatha Yoga classes, there are classes that are Anusara Inspired. The Soni Yoga website explains, “Anusara Yoga is a school of hatha yoga which unifies a lie-affirming Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment.” From the description of this class, it sounds like this class goes beyond the basic Hatha yoga that is so popular in the Western world and takes a deeper look into the theory and mental aspect of yoga. There are also Kundalini classes and Yin & Yang yoga classes (Soni Yoga, n.d.).
The final type of class that is offered is the class that I took. This class is called restorative yoga. I had never heard of restorative yoga before, but the description says that it is focused on reconnecting your mind and your body and that it is beneficial for people of any age. I particularly liked the sound of this yoga class because this is one of the reasons I wish to explore yoga more. I am interested in relaxing and reinvigorating my body while, at the same time, helping my mind to focus. Restorative yoga seems to be a good way to reach this goal because the poses particular to this practice help to encourage a habit of focus and attention so that it becomes a regular part of life (What is Restorative yoga?, n.d.).
Taking this restorative yoga class was very interesting to me because I had never taken a yoga class quite like it. First of all, I had never used props in a yoga class, but this class in particular relied quite heavily on them. We used bolsters, blocks, straps, and blankets throughout the class. In each of the poses we could use the props to extend the stretch or to make it more relaxing. Also, throughout the hour and a half class, we did very few poses, but we held each of them for a very long time. There was a lot of time spent being still, holding a particular position. At times I found this very comfortable and relaxing, but other times I found it hard to keep my mind focused on what we were doing because there was not enough happening to keeping me interested; I was easily distracted by the room itself, or the sounds coming from outside of the studio.
While I found relying so heavily on props to be strange during the yoga practice, I found upon further research following the class, the use of props such as blankets and blocks are quite common in restorative yoga classes. An article in Yoga Journal written by Claudia Cummins explains that the purpose of restorative yoga is to leave us nourished and well rested. The props help people to reach that state of relaxation because the more supported your body is, the deeper your relaxation will be (Cummins, 2010). The props add to the fuller environment of support (What is Restorative yoga?, n.d.).
This article further helped me in my understanding of restorative yoga because it stated that it could be challenging for beginners to become as quite and still as is required to have a fully rewarding restorative practice. While this form of yoga may not be as challenging physically as some other forms, it can be quite challenging mentally to reach the desired state of relaxation that is the goal of restorative yoga. As Cummins states, “This is what yoga is all about, after all: stilling our fidgety bodies and calming our rambling minds so that we may rest quietly in the present moment and see clearly the peace that resides within” (Cummins, 2010). I did indeed find it quite difficult to reach that stat of mental relaxation. Reading about this eased my frustration about not being able to settle my mind. I now know that this is a common problem that is faced in restorative yoga and that it is something practicing restorative yoga on a regular basis will help you work through.
In the future, if I take a restorative yoga class again, I will try to focus more on my breathing. I know from prior classes that breathing is an important aspect of all yoga practices, but it would have been helpful if the yoga instructor offered more reminders about focusing on breathing. In restorative yoga, like all other yoga practices, breathing helps the wandering mind refocus. Had I focused more on my breathing throughout the class, I think I would have been able to get more out of the class as a whole.
Another source on restorative yoga I found focused a little more on the importance of prana in the practice of restorative yoga. Throughout the class I did notice that the teacher used the term “chest-opening poses” quite a bit, but I didn’t think much of it. It turns out that the chest-opening poses that we did were to increase the flow of prana and breath through the body. This makes sense because based on readings from Hatha Yoga Pradapika prana influences our entire body and helps us reach our higher state of consciousness. (Hatha Yoga Pradapika, 1993). Through my research I also learned that restorative yoga poses are supposed to held for ten minutes or longer, and this explains why there were so few poses involved in the class I took (What is Restorative yoga?, n.d.).
While the Ayurveda theory of yoga is thousands of years old and based on tradition, the practice of restorative yoga has become popular within the last 60 years (What is Restorative yoga?, n.d.). Since it is such a recent development in the world of yoga, it has inevitably been influence by modern culture. Many recommend restorative yoga after being stressed by daily life. Perhaps with modern society’s focus on the working life and being successful in the past 60 years has caused people so much additional stress that restorative yoga was a necessary step to take. It seems that having to de-stress after a regular day is a fairly modern development.
I also think that the fact that Soni Yoga offers classes just for women based on medical research shows how this studio has been affected by modern times. This is blending more modern reliance on medical data and the ancient practice of yoga together. Some may see this as negative, but I believe that this can be a very positive way of approaching yoga. Yoga is all about being able to balance the mind and body, but I think that the focus on balance can carry over to lifestyles as well. A balance of life in the more modern western culture and in the ancient practice of yoga seems to be a healthy way to approach life. If this can be achieved you are not so absorbed in the modern world that you lose focus on your self and what is most important in life, but you are also not so far removed from society that you can’t enjoy all of the positive things modern life has to offer.
Now that I have a fuller understanding of the practice of restorative yoga, the theory of Ayurveda, and of Soni Yoga studio itself, I look forward to going back. There is still a lot I can learn from this studio about the Ayurveda lifestyle and the practices of yoga that are offered. I am also glad that I decided to take the restorative yoga class. Although I found it rather strange while I was taking the class, I think that this kind of yoga could be extremely beneficial in my life based on my interest of expanding my focus and attention through the practice of yoga.
Works Cited
Ayurveda. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.holisticonline.com/ayurveda/ayv-introduction.htm
Cummins, Claudia. (2010). Restorative yoga. Retrieved from http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/991
Owen, Liz. (n.d.). Restorative yoga for body and mind. Retrieved from http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Emotional-Health/Bipolar/Restorative-Yoga-for-Body-and-Mind.aspx
Muktibodhananada, S. (1993). Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Bihar, India: Bihar School of Yoga. Chapter Two: Shatkarma & Pranayma.
Restorative yoga poses - the art of active relaxation. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.yogatohealth.com/Restorative_Yoga_Poses_-_The_Art_of_Active_Relaxation.html
Soni Yoga. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://soniyoga.com/cm/Home.html
What is Restorative yoga?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dorestorativeyoga.com/
Amanda Bean Midterm Paper
I have visited Soni Yoga twice for my midterm assignment. I often pass by the studio on my way to school from work. The second time Soni Yoga caught my eye, I went home and looked it up on the Internet. The first thing on the website (www.soniyoga.com) that stuck out to me was the fact that Soni offers Ayruvedic Health Counseling. I have never been to a yoga studio that offers nutrition advice based on Eastern philosophy. The Indian influence drew me towards the studio and their practice. The fact that the studio has a parking lot sealed the deal; I headed to Soni.
Soni Yoga is fairly new to Cambridge. It opened in 2007 at 290 Concord Avenue in Cambridge. The area in which Soni is located is a mostly middle upper-class neighborhood. A Montessori school can be found a few hundred feet from the studio. The smoothly tarred roads in the neighborhood are lined with freshly painted condos.
From the perspective of a business owner, the location is quite advantageous. The population of North Cambridge is well educated. More than half of those who live in the area have attained at least a college education (City of Cambridge). About sixty-two percent of North Cambridge residents are white in ethnicity (City of Cambridge). These two demographics ensure the likelihood of yoga’s popularity.
My own experience dovetails my theory behind Soni Yoga’s clientele population. The students were almost all Caucasian each of the two times I visited Soni Yoga. There was one Asian woman at the first class I attended. I did not see any African American, Hispanic, or any other ethnicities at the classes. The students appeared to be a little older than me, older than college-age- probably in their late twenties to early thirties. One woman at the second class I went to was probably in her early sixties. Only one man, and the same one, was present at the two classes.
Sarojini (Soni) Anderson, founder of Soni Yoga, was born in the Fiji Islands. Her ancestors are Indian, from the state of Bihar. Bihar is located in Northeastern India, neighboring Nepal. Yoga is a part of the culture in Bihar. In 1963, Paramhamsa Satyananda opened the Bihar School of Yoga (Bihar Yoga).
I asked Soni a few questions about where in India she is from. The conversation led to Soni telling me that her grandfather taught her yoga since she was a baby (personal communication, 2/26/2009). On Soni’s website, she states that her grandfather was a performer and taught her yoga in a playful and joyful way. I directly see this influence in her classes. She tells her students to smile during their practice, and not to take the poses too seriously.
At the beginning of the second class I attended, Soni told her students to, “get ready for some good fun!” (personal communication, 2/26/2009). I am so grateful for this attitude. Many yoga classes I have been to are filled with big egos and very serious teachers. It appears ironic to me that white-suburbia yoga classes are strict competitions, while traditional Indian-taught yoga in the city is fun and easygoing.
Soni Anderson is certified in Shivananda Hatha Yoga and in yoga therapy. She is also a certified Ayruvedic counselor (Soni Yoga). Ayruveda is a traditional Indian path to achieve optimal health through balanced eating, depending on the individual’s unique constitution (personal knowledge). Soni is also certified from American Council on Sports Medicine (Soni Yoga). This is an example of the push to integrate both the Eastern and the Western approaches to the body.
Soni Yoga offers ten different yoga classes. They include hatha, anusara-inspired, restorative, healing, pre and post natal, yoga & pilates, hatha for women, kripalu, kundalini, and yin & yang (Soni Yoga). I attended the same class twice, which is hatha yoga for all levels taught by Soni herself. It is taught in the morning, at 9:30am each Friday. I enjoy experiencing my yoga practice in the morning.
Various services besides yoga are offered at Soni. As already mentioned, Ayruvedic food counseling is one of these services. Massage and bodywork, life counseling, teacher training, and a yearly trip to India are also available (Soni Yoga). Prepared Ayruvedic foods and skin products, mala prayer beads, yoga mats, neti pots, and tongue scrapers are sold at Soni as well (Soni Yoga). I really enjoy the feature of prepared Ayruvedic foods. I have yet to buy any, but I did read on Yelp.com that they are delicious and very easy to put together. You just add your own vegetables to the stir-fry style of the food. The neti pots and tongue scrapers correlate with the purification processes, Shatkriya, as described in Svami Svatmarama’s Hatha Yoga Pradipika. These traditional aspects of Soni are one of the reasons I plan on returning to the studio.
The hatha yoga practice at Soni does a good job at addressing the six aspects of traditional hatha. Hatha is the style of yoga predominantly practiced in the West, and Soni Anderson incorporates the important traditional or spiritual aspects into the practice (that are often left out in atheletic-based yoga classes). The student begins by closing their eyes and taking part in the recall of Sanskrit chants. The chants are slightly different from those practiced in our course, but I have recognized some of the words, such as shanti.
Next, the student places their peace fingers, forefinger and middle finger, on the third eye. The thumb and ring finger are used in alternating-nostril breath work. I would guess that about 5 minutes is spent on breathing, pranayama, alone. The student retains the breath between each exhale. At the longest retention, the breath is still for sixteen seconds. I am unsure of the significance of this number.
Asanas in Soni hatha yoga are done with an air of joy, as mentioned earlier. The teacher spends time discussing the role of the asana on the internal organs. More western-style yoga classes talk about the muscle groups being activated during yoga. I appreciate the knowledge of massaging my kidneys during “happy baby” (I don’t know the traditional name of this pose), and opening the bladder during standing leg stretches. Twists are associated with the cleansing of all the organs during Soni’s classes.
At the end of the asanas, ten minutes is spent in meditation, followed by closing chants. The element of hatha yoga I would like to learn more about, especially in relation to yoga classes, is moral discipline, or yama and niyama. I am aware that the ethics of the individual’s yoga practice includes non-violence, cleanliness, and truthfulness, among other facets (Elsevier). I am uneducated in this area of yoga, but I do believe that with the realization of the mindbody and one’s truth in meditation, a spiritual path is created, and in turn, spiritual ethics arise.
I would also like to learn more about the mudra in yoga. What I know of these symbolic gestures includes the soft touch of the forefinger on the thumb during meditation and “dancing Shiva”, and the peace fingers on the third eye during the alternating nostril cleansing. This is the aspect of hatha yoga I see the least during my experience at Soni Yoga.
The largest Eastern influence I see and feel at Soni Yoga, besides Soni herself, is the content of their teacher-training program. According to the website (www.soniyoga.com), the student is trained in asanas, pranayama, bandhas, kriyas, meditation, the four paths of yoga, anatomy and physiology, diet and nutrition, karma and reincarnation, and the Bhagavad Gita. Required reading for the course consists of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Fundamentals of Yoga by Shri Brahmananda Saraswati, among others. The combination of traditional aspects of hatha yoga creates a holistic background for the Western student.
Although there is a strong Eastern presence felt at Soni Yoga, the Western influence is undeniable. I am a Westerner myself, and knowingly fall victim to the myriad of Buddhist-inspired decorations and house wares. I immediately noticed the different furniture, pillows, wall art, and figurines from the Swedish megastore IKEA. I love the decorations, but I know that they serve us Westerners who need an aesthetically pleasing place to practice. Soni does have her own mandalas on one wall of the studio, and a traditional alter at the head of the space. The foliage throughout the space and dim lighting add peaceful ambiance.
The yoga and pilates class also draws my attention to the influence of the American clientele on the studio. I do not have a background in pilates, but I do not know it as a spiritual and ancient practice, such as the other yoga classes offered. A very Western, yet necessary side of Soni Yoga is their use of electronic communication. You can find Soni Yoga on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/SoniYoga /281511081962) or visit visit their extensive and very informative website (www.soniyoga.com). If you are “on the go” like most Americans with never-ending to-do lists, you can also reserve your spot in class online, with your credit card (https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/asp/home.asp? studioid=2535).
Overall, I had two great experiences at Soni Yoga. I feel a genuine connection with Soni. She radiates love, compassion, and joy. It’s not very often that I meet someone as present as Soni. She remembered my name throughout both classes I went to. Her guiding comments made me smile during poses. I am “her little frog” (personal communication, 2/12/2010) because of the deep hip stretches I was led through. The calming nature of Soni’s person allows me to relax on a very deep level throughout my practice. If telling a friend about Soni Yoga, I would emphasize the holistic essence of the studio and Soni’s friendliness. I plan on making Friday morning hatha classes a part of my personal practice.
Works Cited
Bihar Yoga. (2010). Bihar yoga. Retrieved from www.yogavision.net on February 28, 2010.
Community Development Department, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. (2010). North Cambridge, Neighborhood 11. The Department of Cambridge Community Development. Retrieved from http://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/cp/neigh /11/area11.html on February 28, 2010.
Elsevier, B. V. (2009). Abstract: Yoga. Article Locator. Retrieved from http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0889857X05701265 on February 28, 2010.
Soni Yoga. (2010). Home page. Retrieved from www.soniyoga.com on February 28, 2010.
Mid-Term Paper
Ronja Geilen
Mid-Term Paper
Laura Douglass
March 1st 2010
Site Visits to Be In Union Yoga and Yoga in the Square
I chose to go to Be In Union Yoga in Union Square. This is a fairly new yoga studio. It was opened in October of last year. “We offer an approach to teaching that thrives in learning, exploration and discovery in a healthy, intelligent manner. We commit to create a safe space for personal growth and transformation whose foundation begins with a consciousness of mind, body and soul and their indispensable interconnectivity. We believe that yoga is for everyone and should be accessible to all. We hold a place born out of respect, integrity, compassion, and forgiveness for oneself” (http://beinunion.com/). This is the philosophy of the studio and I picked it for a few different reasons. It is very close to my apartment, it is a new studio, and it offered a class for children. Since I am a student of Early Childhood Education I wanted to observe and participate in a class geared towards young children. I wanted to see how a yoga instructor would go about teaching young children, I wanted to know what age groups were involved, who sent their children to yoga classes, how many children were in each class, did they came every week, how do yoga classes benefit the children, what are the social aspects of the class, and what positions are taught.
When I arrived at the studio on a rainy Wednesday morning I did not know what to expect. I entered the studio and almost collided with some of the children who were waiting for the children’s yoga class. They seemed exited to be there. They had all taken off their winter clothes and were dressed in shorts and t-shirts, wearing no shoes and ready to begin.
The studio was extremely hot and the teacher informed me that this helped to calm the children and that as the class went on the room would cool a bit. There were thirteen children in the class. All of them were either three or four years old. Many of them had come with nannies/child caregivers. I would guess, because the class was twelve dollars, that families of low income do not often attend. This is unfortunate, yet runs in the same vein with many other forms of extra curricular programs that not everyone can attend due to their financial standing.
The mats were arranged in a circle and the children sat on them. Some of them sat quietly waiting; others fiddled with the mats picking up the edges or folding the mats around themselves. The heat had indeed calmed the children a bit. Some of them lay on their mats quiet and still. Some also wandered around the room. There was only one teacher and one parent on the day I went to this class. Usually there are two yoga teachers. It was a bit chaotic in the beginning and I did not know if I should step in and help or not. I eventually did and I think everyone was grateful.
The instructor for the children’s yoga class was an avid athlete-playing hockey in college. She works in the legal field and when she found yoga she loved it immediately. It does not say where she received her training on her bio posted on the studios website and as it was pretty chaotic before and even after the class I did not remember to ask.
Now this was a class of three and four year olds so one can imagine that no matter what is planed there are bound to be surprises and hold ups. When the children were somewhat assembled they began by saying three Om’s really quietly and then one really loud one which the children really seemed to enjoy. Then they were asked to sit cross-legged, or in their terms criss-cross applesauce, at the top of their mats and from there they went into the tabletop position. When they arched their backs and bellies down and looked up they said moo like a cow and when they tucked their heads in and arched their backs up they said meow like a cat. Then a series of downward and upward dogs followed. In downward dog the children were asked to lift their right and then left leg. The action of having the head below the heart, I was told, has a soothing and calming affect on a child. The bow pose was done and the children were instructed to grab hold of their feet and look up. This pose opens the heart and with an open heart energy can flow and from this compassion can come into a person’s life. In the warrior pose the children made warrior faces. They wobbled a bit trying to do the tree pose. Towards the end of the class they were asked to demonstrate their favorite poses for the rest of the class to imitate. They came up with some very interesting poses that were quite hard for me to do. Their made up poses were easy for them as they could easily topple over unhurt. I think one of the things they enjoyed the most was doing handstands against the wall. Those who did not participate in many of the other poses seemed exited to do the handstands. They proudly showed me their talents over and over again with a chorus of “Look at me’s!” To end the class three really loud Om’s were shouted followed by three really quiet ones. I was told that the vibration of the Om has healing qualities when it is spoken and that the vibrations of it benefits even children.
I enjoyed observing this class though I did feel that it could have been a lot more structured. With a bit of structure, like a story or songs to go along with the poses, the teacher could have held the class together. This would have been much more interesting for the children and a lot less chaotic and over stimulating. I do not know what the instructor would have done without me and the parent who stayed. A couple times she had the parent do the teaching while she took a child out to their parent, nanny, or to use the bathroom. At one point I took two children to use the bathroom and though this was appreciated I was supposed to be observing the class. As I understand it, a yoga class for children is not only to teach them yoga, but a way of calming them and bringing awareness to their bodies. I think that this class was too chaotic and hectic for this to happen.
Since I felt I had not gotten all I could out of the children’s yoga class at Be In Union Yoga I decided to observe another class at Yoga in the Square. I thought it would be beneficial to compare two different places and through this get a better idea of how different instructors teach children’s yoga. Yoga in the Square studio is located in the center of Davis Square. I read some testimonials after going to the studio and the general consensus was that people liked the teachers and the small, intimate, friendly studio environment. The cons were too much of the same and the drop in classes unsettled some people. For children’s classes though, I think, rhythm and sameness is important as it fosters a sense of safely and consistency.
I thought Yoga in the Square was a nice studio with a feeling of good energy. The studio itself is a rectangular room with wood floors and a mirror running the length of one wall. I thought that this would distract the children from the lesson but it did not. The space was decorated with plants; there are cubbies for people’s things and easily accessible restrooms.
“It is never too early to start practicing yoga! In our Children’s Yoga class for ages 3+ - 7, students are taken on a different “yoga adventure” during each class. Using their imaginations to take them to faraway lands, they are guided through poses to represent all that they encounter. A lion, a bear, a scarecrow! A storm, a shark, a big boat! Breathing exercises, yoga songs, and yoga games are also incorporated into the class. Children are natural yogis; they have a blast exploring their new moves while building strong body and breath awareness, cooperative skills, and self-confidence. Namaste, little ones!” (http://www.yogasquare.com/). This is the description of the class I observed and participated in.
The children filtered into the studio with their parents. Unlike the other studio most children came with their parents and not their nannies. The children picked out their mats and arranged them in a circle. There were ten children in all and one instructor. The instructor got her certification to teach children’s yoga through the Radiant Child Yoga Program. She also has the 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Certification.
Since it is a drop in class the teacher first asked the children what the rules of the class were. Hands went up in the air and little voices called out, “stay on your mat, no running, sliding, rolling up ones mat”…etc. Then they went around the circle saying their names and how old they were. Most of the children were four or five years old. Again, like in the other class I observed, I started out taking notes and then joined the class as extra support. We started off with some breathing exercise made into a game. Cupping hands we all pretended to have a bowl of soup. We smelled the soup, breathing in, and cooled it blowing out. Since we had spilled some on ourselves we had to then put our clothes in the wash. Putting our hands behind our necks and our elbows out we moved from side to side, faster and then slower.
To the music of three blind mice, the lyrics changed to three nice mice, we put our pointer and forefinger together leaving the other fingers out as the three nice mice. From here arms went up and then down. Holding hands in a circle we all squatted down together and this was the end of the warm up.
From here the teacher told a story integrating into it different yoga poses. The day’s story was about a rocket ship and going into space. The children stood and reached their hands up into the air and brought them together above their heads forming their rocket ships. They were allowed to leave their mats and float around the room for a bit coming back to land safely in the sea, on their mats. Here they became a shark, pointing their elbows up like fins and touching their palms together behind their backs. The cobra, or in this case a water snake was next. Coming up into the position we all let out a hiss. The children were instructed to do downward dog then lift one leg up into the air and then the other, then one arm up into the air and then the other. Laying on their backs the children lifted one leg and the opposite arm and then switched and switched again. I was impressed with how well some of the children could do this. Taking turns all the children got to do a backbend with the teachers help. They stood in front of her and she put a blanket behind their backs, they lifted their arms up to the sky and then leaned back onto their hands.
Toward the end of the class there was another song about a butterfly. Sitting on the floor with feet together, creating a triangle between our legs the butterfly moved its wings, knees going up and down. Then the butterfly slept, head to feet, and finally it stretched, legs outward, hands holding feet. The end of the class was rest time and all the children lay down on their mats, resting their heads on blocks. Some of them pulled the mats over themselves. They lay quietly for a few minutes as the teacher read to them a short text about a question they could ask a wizard. I was surprised at how long they were able to stay relatively still.
Overall in my opinion this was a much more successful class than the one at Be In Union Yoga. The children were focused because of the story that ran throughout the lesson. Their attention was held because they could relate to the story and the songs. Everything was on their level and tailored to fit their needs. There was an equal balance between structure and freedom. In our fast paced world today yoga can help children find a small break. I think it lets them relax into themselves and over a period of time can help them become strong and focused human beings.
Citations
Be. In Union Yoga. (n.d) Retrieved from http://beinunion.com/
Yoga in the Square. (n.d) Retrieved from (http://www.yogasquare.com/
Mid-Term Paper
Laura Douglass
March 1st 2010
Site Visits to Be In Union Yoga and Yoga in the Square
I chose to go to Be In Union Yoga in Union Square. This is a fairly new yoga studio. It was opened in October of last year. “We offer an approach to teaching that thrives in learning, exploration and discovery in a healthy, intelligent manner. We commit to create a safe space for personal growth and transformation whose foundation begins with a consciousness of mind, body and soul and their indispensable interconnectivity. We believe that yoga is for everyone and should be accessible to all. We hold a place born out of respect, integrity, compassion, and forgiveness for oneself” (http://beinunion.com/). This is the philosophy of the studio and I picked it for a few different reasons. It is very close to my apartment, it is a new studio, and it offered a class for children. Since I am a student of Early Childhood Education I wanted to observe and participate in a class geared towards young children. I wanted to see how a yoga instructor would go about teaching young children, I wanted to know what age groups were involved, who sent their children to yoga classes, how many children were in each class, did they came every week, how do yoga classes benefit the children, what are the social aspects of the class, and what positions are taught.
When I arrived at the studio on a rainy Wednesday morning I did not know what to expect. I entered the studio and almost collided with some of the children who were waiting for the children’s yoga class. They seemed exited to be there. They had all taken off their winter clothes and were dressed in shorts and t-shirts, wearing no shoes and ready to begin.
The studio was extremely hot and the teacher informed me that this helped to calm the children and that as the class went on the room would cool a bit. There were thirteen children in the class. All of them were either three or four years old. Many of them had come with nannies/child caregivers. I would guess, because the class was twelve dollars, that families of low income do not often attend. This is unfortunate, yet runs in the same vein with many other forms of extra curricular programs that not everyone can attend due to their financial standing.
The mats were arranged in a circle and the children sat on them. Some of them sat quietly waiting; others fiddled with the mats picking up the edges or folding the mats around themselves. The heat had indeed calmed the children a bit. Some of them lay on their mats quiet and still. Some also wandered around the room. There was only one teacher and one parent on the day I went to this class. Usually there are two yoga teachers. It was a bit chaotic in the beginning and I did not know if I should step in and help or not. I eventually did and I think everyone was grateful.
The instructor for the children’s yoga class was an avid athlete-playing hockey in college. She works in the legal field and when she found yoga she loved it immediately. It does not say where she received her training on her bio posted on the studios website and as it was pretty chaotic before and even after the class I did not remember to ask.
Now this was a class of three and four year olds so one can imagine that no matter what is planed there are bound to be surprises and hold ups. When the children were somewhat assembled they began by saying three Om’s really quietly and then one really loud one which the children really seemed to enjoy. Then they were asked to sit cross-legged, or in their terms criss-cross applesauce, at the top of their mats and from there they went into the tabletop position. When they arched their backs and bellies down and looked up they said moo like a cow and when they tucked their heads in and arched their backs up they said meow like a cat. Then a series of downward and upward dogs followed. In downward dog the children were asked to lift their right and then left leg. The action of having the head below the heart, I was told, has a soothing and calming affect on a child. The bow pose was done and the children were instructed to grab hold of their feet and look up. This pose opens the heart and with an open heart energy can flow and from this compassion can come into a person’s life. In the warrior pose the children made warrior faces. They wobbled a bit trying to do the tree pose. Towards the end of the class they were asked to demonstrate their favorite poses for the rest of the class to imitate. They came up with some very interesting poses that were quite hard for me to do. Their made up poses were easy for them as they could easily topple over unhurt. I think one of the things they enjoyed the most was doing handstands against the wall. Those who did not participate in many of the other poses seemed exited to do the handstands. They proudly showed me their talents over and over again with a chorus of “Look at me’s!” To end the class three really loud Om’s were shouted followed by three really quiet ones. I was told that the vibration of the Om has healing qualities when it is spoken and that the vibrations of it benefits even children.
I enjoyed observing this class though I did feel that it could have been a lot more structured. With a bit of structure, like a story or songs to go along with the poses, the teacher could have held the class together. This would have been much more interesting for the children and a lot less chaotic and over stimulating. I do not know what the instructor would have done without me and the parent who stayed. A couple times she had the parent do the teaching while she took a child out to their parent, nanny, or to use the bathroom. At one point I took two children to use the bathroom and though this was appreciated I was supposed to be observing the class. As I understand it, a yoga class for children is not only to teach them yoga, but a way of calming them and bringing awareness to their bodies. I think that this class was too chaotic and hectic for this to happen.
Since I felt I had not gotten all I could out of the children’s yoga class at Be In Union Yoga I decided to observe another class at Yoga in the Square. I thought it would be beneficial to compare two different places and through this get a better idea of how different instructors teach children’s yoga. Yoga in the Square studio is located in the center of Davis Square. I read some testimonials after going to the studio and the general consensus was that people liked the teachers and the small, intimate, friendly studio environment. The cons were too much of the same and the drop in classes unsettled some people. For children’s classes though, I think, rhythm and sameness is important as it fosters a sense of safely and consistency.
I thought Yoga in the Square was a nice studio with a feeling of good energy. The studio itself is a rectangular room with wood floors and a mirror running the length of one wall. I thought that this would distract the children from the lesson but it did not. The space was decorated with plants; there are cubbies for people’s things and easily accessible restrooms.
“It is never too early to start practicing yoga! In our Children’s Yoga class for ages 3+ - 7, students are taken on a different “yoga adventure” during each class. Using their imaginations to take them to faraway lands, they are guided through poses to represent all that they encounter. A lion, a bear, a scarecrow! A storm, a shark, a big boat! Breathing exercises, yoga songs, and yoga games are also incorporated into the class. Children are natural yogis; they have a blast exploring their new moves while building strong body and breath awareness, cooperative skills, and self-confidence. Namaste, little ones!” (http://www.yogasquare.com/). This is the description of the class I observed and participated in.
The children filtered into the studio with their parents. Unlike the other studio most children came with their parents and not their nannies. The children picked out their mats and arranged them in a circle. There were ten children in all and one instructor. The instructor got her certification to teach children’s yoga through the Radiant Child Yoga Program. She also has the 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Certification.
Since it is a drop in class the teacher first asked the children what the rules of the class were. Hands went up in the air and little voices called out, “stay on your mat, no running, sliding, rolling up ones mat”…etc. Then they went around the circle saying their names and how old they were. Most of the children were four or five years old. Again, like in the other class I observed, I started out taking notes and then joined the class as extra support. We started off with some breathing exercise made into a game. Cupping hands we all pretended to have a bowl of soup. We smelled the soup, breathing in, and cooled it blowing out. Since we had spilled some on ourselves we had to then put our clothes in the wash. Putting our hands behind our necks and our elbows out we moved from side to side, faster and then slower.
To the music of three blind mice, the lyrics changed to three nice mice, we put our pointer and forefinger together leaving the other fingers out as the three nice mice. From here arms went up and then down. Holding hands in a circle we all squatted down together and this was the end of the warm up.
From here the teacher told a story integrating into it different yoga poses. The day’s story was about a rocket ship and going into space. The children stood and reached their hands up into the air and brought them together above their heads forming their rocket ships. They were allowed to leave their mats and float around the room for a bit coming back to land safely in the sea, on their mats. Here they became a shark, pointing their elbows up like fins and touching their palms together behind their backs. The cobra, or in this case a water snake was next. Coming up into the position we all let out a hiss. The children were instructed to do downward dog then lift one leg up into the air and then the other, then one arm up into the air and then the other. Laying on their backs the children lifted one leg and the opposite arm and then switched and switched again. I was impressed with how well some of the children could do this. Taking turns all the children got to do a backbend with the teachers help. They stood in front of her and she put a blanket behind their backs, they lifted their arms up to the sky and then leaned back onto their hands.
Toward the end of the class there was another song about a butterfly. Sitting on the floor with feet together, creating a triangle between our legs the butterfly moved its wings, knees going up and down. Then the butterfly slept, head to feet, and finally it stretched, legs outward, hands holding feet. The end of the class was rest time and all the children lay down on their mats, resting their heads on blocks. Some of them pulled the mats over themselves. They lay quietly for a few minutes as the teacher read to them a short text about a question they could ask a wizard. I was surprised at how long they were able to stay relatively still.
Overall in my opinion this was a much more successful class than the one at Be In Union Yoga. The children were focused because of the story that ran throughout the lesson. Their attention was held because they could relate to the story and the songs. Everything was on their level and tailored to fit their needs. There was an equal balance between structure and freedom. In our fast paced world today yoga can help children find a small break. I think it lets them relax into themselves and over a period of time can help them become strong and focused human beings.
Citations
Be. In Union Yoga. (n.d) Retrieved from http://beinunion.com/
Yoga in the Square. (n.d) Retrieved from (http://www.yogasquare.com/
Soni Yoga: Kripalu
The venue I chose to visit is called Soni Yoga. It is located at 290 Concord Ave in Cambridge. I found this studio through an online search and chose it based on the two criteria of being fairly near by, and having an overall good rating from reviewers. I also decided to try Soni because I wanted to look into a studio that not many people from class were planning on visiting. So luckily, when I began to research the studio, it fit into all of these necessities for me, as well as providing interesting-sounding classes.
The website for this venue is very well organized, simple and aesthetically pleasing. On the Home page there is an introduction that explains how the studio was founded in 2007 by the owner, Soni in dedication to a “joyful practice of yoga”. With a very limited description of the studio’s philosophy, from this home page I found that the instructors here try to emphasize breath and then “proper alignment” to increase flexibility, and strength, as well as an attempt to continuously learn something about yourself.
Under the “About Us” tab, I found a little history about Soni, the owner and one of the teachers of the studio. A brief paragraph explains that she had learned yoga “before she could walk” and that “She still follows Ayurveda and Vastu living, a simple living in harmony with nature, and strives to reflect all these things in Soni Yoga”. There is also another short paragraph introducing Soni’s husband David, and some names and information about their family and pets. I was a little disappointed not to find a description of their yoga philosophies besides that they say at the bottom “Please come and join us for a joyful yoga practice. We will help you build a practice that is unique to your body, mind and spirit”. So from this last statement, I assumed that the yoga practice at this studio might be similar to that which we are learning about in class, about how yoga is individual and personal.
Another interesting aspect to this studio is that they offer Life Counseling with David, Soni’s husband. There are not many specifics as to what this entails, but the brief description under Services says that David has been a pastor and mentor in addition to being a yoga teacher and that he can help set goals that “speaks to the entire you”. I was curious to find out how this connects to yoga, if it relates to or contrasts yoga theory, and, how having a background in Christian beliefs may affect David’s own theories.
Soni supports an Ayurveda in their daily lives and describes a little of what this means in a separate tab on the website. Here, it is described as a 5,000 year old science of life and healthy living from India. It says that these practices restore individual balance and harmony and that Soni is a certified practitioner who can give consultations on how to incorporate and benefit from these changes in your life. The description states that “Ayurveda teaches you how to live right, with daily practices and routines that promote health and vitality while reducing pain and illness”. So from this, it would seem that they instructors would base much of their classes on this concept.
The classes offered include Hatha, Anasura, Kundaline, Healing, Pre and Post Natal, Restorative, and Yin Yang. If you click on each of these under their own tab it explains a little about the background of this type of yoga, who it can benefit most, and why it may be beneficial. Each class seems to be targeted at a fairly large demographic, with some for women, for elderly customers, and I even found a class that has a combination of Yoga and Pilates which I think is intended for more strength training purposes.
While Soni Yoga seems to dedicate a large portion of their practices towards a traditional Indian cultural view on yoga, I still feel that there is a very strong connection with Western culture based on the set up and style of their theory and practice. This mostly comes from the integration of Pilates into one of the classes, as well as the classes that are targeted for women and/or pregnancy since traditional Indian practices and texts exclude women from yoga.
Description of Class Visited:
So based both on interest and time constraints I decided to go to a Thursday night class (7:30-8:45) called Yoga Stretch – Kripalu. This was one of the only times that the classes worked for me, but also I was interested to find out what Kripalu meant.
When I got there, I had to walk around to the back of the building for the entrance. Through the door was a small lobby type room with a front desk, cubbies, a shoe rack and a few products for sale like yoga mats and mat cleaner. I immediately looked for brochures, flyers or any type of informational bulletin boards but found none.
After putting my things in the cubby we walked behind a small partition to the studio. We were instructed to grab some of the props and set up our personal “stations” with the few remaining minutes until class began. Some of these props included foam blocks, long support pillows, blankets, and ropes.
As I set up my station I began to notice the aesthetics of the room. It was dark, with many small and different kinds of lights from the ceiling and on the wall. There was a large Om painted on the right wall and smaller ones in white on the ceiling. All of these visual distractions, combined with the music the instructor played and the sound of the cars on Concord Ave and hard rain on the roof, I found it very difficult to stay focused.
The class was small, only seven people plus a second staff member who participated in the back of the room. There was an elderly couple, two middle-aged women and three (including myself) young women around their twenties.
The instructor was Jennifer, a very small, young woman and a new instructor to Soni. She explained at the beginning of the class that this was not her usual style of yoga and that she was filling in for Nora, the usual instructor. She asked if there was anyone new to yoga and said that this was going to be very gentle and easily adaptable.
After class I looked up Jennifer’s bio on the Soni website which I found to be fairly general and vague. She describes her practice as varying from “quiet and contemplative yin to spirited vinyasa sequences and everything in between”. I was hoping to get more of a personal background about her beliefs and philosophy towards yoga but I somewhat disappointed.
Just out of curiosity, I also read Nora’s bio, the instructor who usually teaches the class I attended. Hers was much more detailed, stating how and when she received her certification, why she practices yoga and how she runs her classes. While I am satisfied with the class I attended, I do wish that I had gotten to experience it with the instructor who has much more experience with it and has been teaching at the studio since it opened in 2007.
What Happened:
The class went well, it was a little too slow for me so I found it very difficult to stay focused in the poses since they were held for so long. We did very few poses, and the instructor insisted that we use the adaptive props even though I did not feel I needed them. The class was very small though, so I liked that the instructor could easily come around to everyone to see that they were doing alright. She was very actively walking around adjusting people, getting props for them and giving small encouragements. One thing that confused me was that Jennifer said that if she came to you to make an adjustment, let her do all of the moving for you. Maybe that is the point of this kind of yoga, but I was under the impression that part of yoga was being able to monitor and adjust yourself.
The class began by lying flat out on the floor just breathing. Then we moved into a pose in which we had one of the pillows under our backs. Next we did turns on both sides of our bodies in which we lied with our knees both off to one side and our arms stretched out like a T. This I feel was held way too long for me personally and became really annoyed because my hands and feet began to fall asleep. We also did a pose with the strap/belt thing where we put our feet through it and pushed, then lied back on the floor. I unfortunately did not feel any kind of stretch from this, which Jennifer said we were supposed to feel in our lower back. I only felt uncomfortable with my legs spread apart and the strap digging into my hips. I feel like the positioning of the props to up a good portion of the class, and that it would have been more beneficial to do it without, seeing as many of the people in the class didn’t seem to need them either.
I was disappointed that the instructor did not explain what Kripalu was, especially since she knew there were new students in the class. I assumed it had something to do with the first part of the title of the class, “stretch” but decided to research it when I got home anyway. I had a very difficult time finding a definition for this word but after spending some time researching, walked away with the general impression that it emphasizes proper breathing techniques in a way that combines many different aspects of yoga.
The most helpful website I found to explain what this meant discussed Kripalu as a “incorporating into one system the physical and purification practices of Hatha Yoga; the mental disciplines of Raja Yoga; the prana awakening principles of Kundalini Yoga; the devotion of Bhakti Yoga; and the emphasis on service of Karma Yoga”. The short article goes on to explain the three phases that encompass Kripalu. Stage one is based on “willful practice” which means understanding and coordinating the breath. Stage two “focuses on your attention to inner sensations” and requires you to try and hold the postures and poses for a much longer period of time. The final stage has a meditation/prayer focus.
I’m very glad I looked into the meaning of this word, although I wish I had before the class. During the session I was confused and distracted by the length of time we were holding these postures, but if I had known that that was the point of this kind of yoga I would have tried to embrace it more. I find it interesting that this approach to yoga tries to incorporate many different physical and mental aspects of yoga into one practice.
While I liked that the class was small and I thought the instructor was very helpful and friendly, I was only satisfied with the experience I got from this particular class. The studio was visually busy and I got easily distracted by all of the decorations, noises and lights. I also lost focus quickly and became bored with the poses and movements. I would have liked to try another class and I still think I will at another time to see if I would enjoy the studio better with a more stimulating class.
Overall, I found that the studio does incorporate some of the aspects of yoga that we learn about in our course. The instructor asked us to focus on our breath, in each pose, similar to our class practice, and I feel this is a common attribute the studio incorporates into many of its classes. I do not feel that this studio is one that was created for the fitness aspect of yoga that has become popular in the Western culture. I think that they do try to maintain a somewhat traditional practice and philosophy of yoga, but have made some obviously necessary adjustments to accommodate the more dominant view of yoga.
Soni Website: http://soniyoga.com/cm/Home.html
Research on Kripalu: http://www.triumbra.com/yoga/definition.htm
The website for this venue is very well organized, simple and aesthetically pleasing. On the Home page there is an introduction that explains how the studio was founded in 2007 by the owner, Soni in dedication to a “joyful practice of yoga”. With a very limited description of the studio’s philosophy, from this home page I found that the instructors here try to emphasize breath and then “proper alignment” to increase flexibility, and strength, as well as an attempt to continuously learn something about yourself.
Under the “About Us” tab, I found a little history about Soni, the owner and one of the teachers of the studio. A brief paragraph explains that she had learned yoga “before she could walk” and that “She still follows Ayurveda and Vastu living, a simple living in harmony with nature, and strives to reflect all these things in Soni Yoga”. There is also another short paragraph introducing Soni’s husband David, and some names and information about their family and pets. I was a little disappointed not to find a description of their yoga philosophies besides that they say at the bottom “Please come and join us for a joyful yoga practice. We will help you build a practice that is unique to your body, mind and spirit”. So from this last statement, I assumed that the yoga practice at this studio might be similar to that which we are learning about in class, about how yoga is individual and personal.
Another interesting aspect to this studio is that they offer Life Counseling with David, Soni’s husband. There are not many specifics as to what this entails, but the brief description under Services says that David has been a pastor and mentor in addition to being a yoga teacher and that he can help set goals that “speaks to the entire you”. I was curious to find out how this connects to yoga, if it relates to or contrasts yoga theory, and, how having a background in Christian beliefs may affect David’s own theories.
Soni supports an Ayurveda in their daily lives and describes a little of what this means in a separate tab on the website. Here, it is described as a 5,000 year old science of life and healthy living from India. It says that these practices restore individual balance and harmony and that Soni is a certified practitioner who can give consultations on how to incorporate and benefit from these changes in your life. The description states that “Ayurveda teaches you how to live right, with daily practices and routines that promote health and vitality while reducing pain and illness”. So from this, it would seem that they instructors would base much of their classes on this concept.
The classes offered include Hatha, Anasura, Kundaline, Healing, Pre and Post Natal, Restorative, and Yin Yang. If you click on each of these under their own tab it explains a little about the background of this type of yoga, who it can benefit most, and why it may be beneficial. Each class seems to be targeted at a fairly large demographic, with some for women, for elderly customers, and I even found a class that has a combination of Yoga and Pilates which I think is intended for more strength training purposes.
While Soni Yoga seems to dedicate a large portion of their practices towards a traditional Indian cultural view on yoga, I still feel that there is a very strong connection with Western culture based on the set up and style of their theory and practice. This mostly comes from the integration of Pilates into one of the classes, as well as the classes that are targeted for women and/or pregnancy since traditional Indian practices and texts exclude women from yoga.
Description of Class Visited:
So based both on interest and time constraints I decided to go to a Thursday night class (7:30-8:45) called Yoga Stretch – Kripalu. This was one of the only times that the classes worked for me, but also I was interested to find out what Kripalu meant.
When I got there, I had to walk around to the back of the building for the entrance. Through the door was a small lobby type room with a front desk, cubbies, a shoe rack and a few products for sale like yoga mats and mat cleaner. I immediately looked for brochures, flyers or any type of informational bulletin boards but found none.
After putting my things in the cubby we walked behind a small partition to the studio. We were instructed to grab some of the props and set up our personal “stations” with the few remaining minutes until class began. Some of these props included foam blocks, long support pillows, blankets, and ropes.
As I set up my station I began to notice the aesthetics of the room. It was dark, with many small and different kinds of lights from the ceiling and on the wall. There was a large Om painted on the right wall and smaller ones in white on the ceiling. All of these visual distractions, combined with the music the instructor played and the sound of the cars on Concord Ave and hard rain on the roof, I found it very difficult to stay focused.
The class was small, only seven people plus a second staff member who participated in the back of the room. There was an elderly couple, two middle-aged women and three (including myself) young women around their twenties.
The instructor was Jennifer, a very small, young woman and a new instructor to Soni. She explained at the beginning of the class that this was not her usual style of yoga and that she was filling in for Nora, the usual instructor. She asked if there was anyone new to yoga and said that this was going to be very gentle and easily adaptable.
After class I looked up Jennifer’s bio on the Soni website which I found to be fairly general and vague. She describes her practice as varying from “quiet and contemplative yin to spirited vinyasa sequences and everything in between”. I was hoping to get more of a personal background about her beliefs and philosophy towards yoga but I somewhat disappointed.
Just out of curiosity, I also read Nora’s bio, the instructor who usually teaches the class I attended. Hers was much more detailed, stating how and when she received her certification, why she practices yoga and how she runs her classes. While I am satisfied with the class I attended, I do wish that I had gotten to experience it with the instructor who has much more experience with it and has been teaching at the studio since it opened in 2007.
What Happened:
The class went well, it was a little too slow for me so I found it very difficult to stay focused in the poses since they were held for so long. We did very few poses, and the instructor insisted that we use the adaptive props even though I did not feel I needed them. The class was very small though, so I liked that the instructor could easily come around to everyone to see that they were doing alright. She was very actively walking around adjusting people, getting props for them and giving small encouragements. One thing that confused me was that Jennifer said that if she came to you to make an adjustment, let her do all of the moving for you. Maybe that is the point of this kind of yoga, but I was under the impression that part of yoga was being able to monitor and adjust yourself.
The class began by lying flat out on the floor just breathing. Then we moved into a pose in which we had one of the pillows under our backs. Next we did turns on both sides of our bodies in which we lied with our knees both off to one side and our arms stretched out like a T. This I feel was held way too long for me personally and became really annoyed because my hands and feet began to fall asleep. We also did a pose with the strap/belt thing where we put our feet through it and pushed, then lied back on the floor. I unfortunately did not feel any kind of stretch from this, which Jennifer said we were supposed to feel in our lower back. I only felt uncomfortable with my legs spread apart and the strap digging into my hips. I feel like the positioning of the props to up a good portion of the class, and that it would have been more beneficial to do it without, seeing as many of the people in the class didn’t seem to need them either.
I was disappointed that the instructor did not explain what Kripalu was, especially since she knew there were new students in the class. I assumed it had something to do with the first part of the title of the class, “stretch” but decided to research it when I got home anyway. I had a very difficult time finding a definition for this word but after spending some time researching, walked away with the general impression that it emphasizes proper breathing techniques in a way that combines many different aspects of yoga.
The most helpful website I found to explain what this meant discussed Kripalu as a “incorporating into one system the physical and purification practices of Hatha Yoga; the mental disciplines of Raja Yoga; the prana awakening principles of Kundalini Yoga; the devotion of Bhakti Yoga; and the emphasis on service of Karma Yoga”. The short article goes on to explain the three phases that encompass Kripalu. Stage one is based on “willful practice” which means understanding and coordinating the breath. Stage two “focuses on your attention to inner sensations” and requires you to try and hold the postures and poses for a much longer period of time. The final stage has a meditation/prayer focus.
I’m very glad I looked into the meaning of this word, although I wish I had before the class. During the session I was confused and distracted by the length of time we were holding these postures, but if I had known that that was the point of this kind of yoga I would have tried to embrace it more. I find it interesting that this approach to yoga tries to incorporate many different physical and mental aspects of yoga into one practice.
While I liked that the class was small and I thought the instructor was very helpful and friendly, I was only satisfied with the experience I got from this particular class. The studio was visually busy and I got easily distracted by all of the decorations, noises and lights. I also lost focus quickly and became bored with the poses and movements. I would have liked to try another class and I still think I will at another time to see if I would enjoy the studio better with a more stimulating class.
Overall, I found that the studio does incorporate some of the aspects of yoga that we learn about in our course. The instructor asked us to focus on our breath, in each pose, similar to our class practice, and I feel this is a common attribute the studio incorporates into many of its classes. I do not feel that this studio is one that was created for the fitness aspect of yoga that has become popular in the Western culture. I think that they do try to maintain a somewhat traditional practice and philosophy of yoga, but have made some obviously necessary adjustments to accommodate the more dominant view of yoga.
Soni Website: http://soniyoga.com/cm/Home.html
Research on Kripalu: http://www.triumbra.com/yoga/definition.htm
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