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Standing postures are among the most strength and character building in Hatha yoga. In my latest workshop, Standing Strong II, we reviewed the essential elements of standing poses. These are: Establishing your foundation(placement of feet), engaging your core and finding your alignment. Following these 3 elements, we add the arms and drishti (directed gaze).
We practiced basic standing postures using these elements to guide us into each one. I reminded the students that every body is different and that it is not about how a pose looks, but more about how it feels in your body. We practiced Vrksanasa (Tree), the ultimate symbol of strength, Virabhadrasana (Warrior) poses, Parivrrta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle), and balancing poses such as Natarajasana (Dancer), Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) and Ardha Chandrasana (Half moon). As I always like to do in workshops, we used props such as the wall, a chair and blocks in interesting ways to help us find proper alignment and to support the body as needed. Each of my guided meditations is carefully crafted with the workshop’s theme in mind. This particular visualization meditation wrapped the participants in a beautiful blue light and took them on a walk through a valley to a huge oak tree. Students absorbed the tree’s strength and energy through its roots. They then poured any negative energy or thoughts into a nearby creek, leaving them feeling lighter and radiating with strength. In her final evaluation, one student said, “I like the workshops because you always include a balance of learning materials, yoga practice with excellent cues, meditation, and inspirational quotes.” Wherever you are in your yoga journey, join me on your mat soon!
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Before you jump in and join my yoga classes, you might be hesitant and uncertain about whether you will enjoy it and what you will get out of your time with me. I will begin with the Hatha Yoga classes, and discuss Chair Yoga in a future post. The general breakdown of a typical class is centering, limbering/warm-up exercises, followed by standing poses, seated, prone and supine poses, and concluding with a five minute relaxation. Depending on the day, we may flow in more of a vinyasa style, we may hold postures a bit longer or we might slow it down in a yin & restorative practice. I like to mix it up, and I believe my students have come to appreciate the variety.
There isn’t only one way to do a yoga posture. As the teacher, I am there to guide you through different variations and help you find your own. That is where the use of equipment comes in. A good quality sticky mat will provide the best yoga experience for you. There is nothing worse than slipping on your mat while in a downward facing dog! A blanket, blocks and a yoga belt can support your practice in many ways. We use these items almost every class, so you might consider purchasing them if you plan on making yoga a regular part of your life. The blanket should be thick enough that is has some height when folded (Mexican blankets work very well). Two, sturdy 4-inch wide blocks are recommended. As for the belt, if you are taller, a 10 foot belt is better. However, a standard 8 foot belt works for most people. Feel free to reach out to me for recommendations on brands for equipment. Although we aim for growth and improvement, I believe a yoga practice should be energizing, but it should first and foremost provide a sense of balance, calm and rejuvenation to body, mind and spirit. If you are new to yoga, give yourself a few classes to get used to it. It was not “love at first try” for me! Blog post #1: 2/21/21. Why practice yoga?
My first blog post. Who knew I was ever going to be writing a blog? I hope to be able to touch, inspire, and connect with as many yogis as possible. The intention is to spark conversations on life and yoga, and to learn from you, my students and fellow teachers. After all, yoga is what we have in common, it is what binds us together. Why practice yoga? Will you lose weight? Probably not if I’m honest. But the multitude of benefits that come from a regular yoga practice over time is jaw dropping. You may not lose weight, but your relationship with food may change as a result of practicing mindfulness through yoga. And then there are the more obvious benefits, such as increased flexibility, strength and balance. But there is so much more… As you may know, yoga is not a religion, but rather an all-encompassing science. If we make yoga philosophy a part of our daily life, we will improve our relationship with ourselves and with others. If we incorporate asana (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques) in our weekly schedule, we will improve our physical and mental health. Yoga helps increase our ability to concentrate and be mindful, which in turn makes us more present, and thus more grateful. Yoga is all about balance. We can challenge ourselves through our asana practice, while remaining aware of that fine line between ‘challenging’ and ‘beyond our body’s abilities’ on any given day. Knowing that every day is different, yoga teaches us to learn to live with our limitations due to injury, surgery or other. The breathing techniques also bring so many benefits in and of themselves and could be the topic of an entire blog post or workshop. To sum up, self improvement, self exploration, self awareness, and a genuine desire to be a better human and to continue learning; those are just some of the benefits I have reaped from my yoga studies and practice. How has yoga benefited you? |
AuthorCamille is a 500 hr Hatha Yoga, Chair Yoga and Yoga for Cancer Survivors certified yoga teacher. Archives
October 2025
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