Viniyoga

 This week I tried the Viniyoga practice that was included on Week 10 of the syllabus. The practice was focused on the low back and sacrum. This video was about 25 minutes long. One of the things I noticed that is different than other practices we've done is that this one felt more like a physical therapy session. It was very focused on anatomy and alignment, more than our previous practices. I also noticed that the cues were more focused on the body instead of more "yogic" instructions that are more metaphoric in nature. It seemed more like a stretching routine than a yoga practice.

Some things that I liked about this practice was the pace. It wasn't too fast or too slow. It really helped me to focus on my alignment. I also liked that each movement had a breath linked to it. I felt like I got more out of the postures when the breath was included in every movement. Each pose built on each other which I also enjoyed. For example, in one pose we started off with a basic bridge but then we built to move the bridge with our breath as well as moving our arms back and forth over our heads. One thing that I did miss in this practice was the more philosophical part of yoga. This practice was more focused on the stretches and anatomical benefits instead of the spiritual aspect of the practice. 

Yoga is defined in my practice space by building an environment that helps me experience my practice to its fullest. Once I roll my mat out its almost like my mind state automatically calms down. I make sure my room is quiet and there's enough lighting for me to see my video. Anything I can do to make my practice have the least amount of distractions. I do miss having the connection of others in a group practice since practicing in a studio is close to impossible now. I do miss the nonverbal connection everyone shares but this has also given me an opportunity to create my own yogic space in the comfort of my home. I think that there are connections made outside my yoga practice because I'm able to take my yoga off the mat. I find that when I'm in difficult situations or I'm in a situation I can't control, I'm able to take a deep breath and not be so negatively affected by it. 

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