Dear Britomart yogis,
Sometimes we get the opportunity to practise yoga without focusing (for the most part) solely on our own eyes in the front mirror. Last night was one of these opportunities with Connie and Jammin' Yoga leading us through a Mandala yoga practice after the 4pm Bikram session.
For those of you unfamiliar with Mandala yoga (as most of us were!) it may help to look at the following video link ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5s_qYgJS8 ) which beautifully portrays the process of creating a sand mandala. The mandala is probably the most discussed and admired symbol in Buddhist art. The word itself means circle and its shape is supposed to remind us of our 'relation to infinity, extending beyond and within our bodies and minds'. (http://spiritualawakening.weebly.com/mandalas-what-are-they.html)
During our 90-minute Mandala yoga practice we played, worked together, trusted each other, helped one another, laughed, held hands, impersonated bunny rabbits (!), and tried earnestly to create something similar to the above shape.
All in all it was light-hearted and a lot of fun. The mood was mellow, the music (some of it live, and provided by Fernando) was meditative but upbeat, and whatever apprehension some of us might have experienced at the beginning quickly dissipated. Getting up close and personal with the bodies that you always remain at least one sweaty arm's distance from in your Bikram class is, believe it or not, a great way of relieving any initial awkwardness. And awkward pose sitting on your neighbour's lap anyone? While someone else is sitting on yours? Well, we did it! ;-) And it was definitely easier than awkward pose, which we all know should look like this:
but more often than not... looks and feels more like this:
I'm with the cat on this one!
Anyway, awkward jokes aside... After our Mandala practice we enjoyed yummy raw treats and lovely filtered water to refresh, rehydrate, and replenish while we seized the opportunity to get to know our fellow yogis a bit better. It got me thinking about how rarely we get the occasion to connect to the people we sweat beside in class, and how nice it is to share our experiences of the practice. There are as many yoga experiences as there are yoga practitioners and everyone has their own personal perspective to share. And that's the beauty of a community-focused yoga practice such as Mandala yoga. Be sure and come try the next one!
See you on your mats! :-)
Sometimes we get the opportunity to practise yoga without focusing (for the most part) solely on our own eyes in the front mirror. Last night was one of these opportunities with Connie and Jammin' Yoga leading us through a Mandala yoga practice after the 4pm Bikram session.
For those of you unfamiliar with Mandala yoga (as most of us were!) it may help to look at the following video link ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5s_qYgJS8 ) which beautifully portrays the process of creating a sand mandala. The mandala is probably the most discussed and admired symbol in Buddhist art. The word itself means circle and its shape is supposed to remind us of our 'relation to infinity, extending beyond and within our bodies and minds'. (http://spiritualawakening.weebly.com/mandalas-what-are-they.html)
During our 90-minute Mandala yoga practice we played, worked together, trusted each other, helped one another, laughed, held hands, impersonated bunny rabbits (!), and tried earnestly to create something similar to the above shape.
All in all it was light-hearted and a lot of fun. The mood was mellow, the music (some of it live, and provided by Fernando) was meditative but upbeat, and whatever apprehension some of us might have experienced at the beginning quickly dissipated. Getting up close and personal with the bodies that you always remain at least one sweaty arm's distance from in your Bikram class is, believe it or not, a great way of relieving any initial awkwardness. And awkward pose sitting on your neighbour's lap anyone? While someone else is sitting on yours? Well, we did it! ;-) And it was definitely easier than awkward pose, which we all know should look like this:
but more often than not... looks and feels more like this:
I'm with the cat on this one!
Anyway, awkward jokes aside... After our Mandala practice we enjoyed yummy raw treats and lovely filtered water to refresh, rehydrate, and replenish while we seized the opportunity to get to know our fellow yogis a bit better. It got me thinking about how rarely we get the occasion to connect to the people we sweat beside in class, and how nice it is to share our experiences of the practice. There are as many yoga experiences as there are yoga practitioners and everyone has their own personal perspective to share. And that's the beauty of a community-focused yoga practice such as Mandala yoga. Be sure and come try the next one!
See you on your mats! :-)
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